According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
"I myself have heard relatives talking: our village is being attacked, let's roll the car out of the garage, maybe they will shell it — at least we will get money. The car is old, we can't sell it," Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The new tranche brings total recent EU defense support for Ukraine to 3.3 billion euros ($3.6 billion), marking a significant expansion of European efforts to boost Kyiv's defense industry.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
Both men face charges related to terrorism and espionage. Daniil B. was detained in Lithuania, where he is in temporary custody, while Oleksandr V. remains at large in Russia.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine and its allies discussed tougher sanctions against Russia's banking sector, central bank, and energy industry.
"We are ready for all options. But of course, we are separately waiting for a response on the ceasefire," a source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Kyiv Independent.
The EU plans to unveil on May 14 its next package of sanctions imposed against Russia over its aggression against Ukraine, an EU official told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Polish truckers plan to restrict freight traffic at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine's State Border Guard said on May 12.
"If the Russians are using this level of specialists in urban combat, they are probably facing some difficulties," Ivan Petrychak, spokesperson for the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, said.
Illustrative purposes: Knauf production facility in Krasnogorsk, Russia, May 2013. (Shuvaev/Wikimedia Commons)
The German producer of building materials Knauf is ceasing its operations in Russia in the light of "current events," Business Insider reported on April 22, citing a statement from the company.
While Knauf's spokesperson did not provide a specific reason for the withdrawal, the company came under scrutiny earlier this month for its alleged involvement in the reconstruction of Russian-occupied Mariupol.
The Monitor program of the German TV channel ARD wrote on April 3 that Russia uses Knauf-produced cement in construction works in the occupied Ukrainian city. The company has rejected the allegation and said it complies with relevant laws and sanctions.
Knauf wishes to "transfer the entire business in Russia, including raw material extraction, production, and sales, to local management in order to preserve the jobs of more than 4,000 employees," the spokesperson told Business Insider.
The move is pending approval by Russian authorities, which have already been informed of the plans, the outlet wrote.
Knauf has repeatedly come under criticism for not ending its Russia operations in response to the invasion of Ukraine, like other German companies, such as Volkswagen and Siemens.
The company retorted at the time that its products have no connection to war and that, as a family-owned business, it does not want to threaten the job security of its employees.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Kateryna Denisova
