Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and guided bombs during the night, targeting multiple regions after the May 12 deadline for an unconditional ceasefire expired.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine," EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
Zelensky on May 12 removed Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk from the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the top command and control body for all branches of Ukraine's defense apparatus.
Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The phone call comes as Moscow once again rejected a 30-day ceasefire, with Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova claiming that a ceasefire would give "Kyiv a break to restore its military potential and continue its confrontation with Russia."
Flight MH17 departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport en-route to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on July 17, 2014. Three hours into the flight, the Boeing-777 was shot down by Russian proxy forces using a Buk surface-to-air missile above Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast.
"I am grateful for the support and the readiness at the highest level to promote diplomacy," President Volodymyr Zelensky said of the phone conservation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "We share the same view on the need for a ceasefire."
The convictions mark a significant development in Britain's efforts to counter Russian intelligence operations amid heightened tensions stemming from Moscow's war against Ukraine and repeated Kremlin threats toward Kyiv's allies.
Ukraine sympathizers fly a Ukrainian flag outside the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. as the Senate worked on a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel on Feb. 11, 2024. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders during an April 14 call reached a "consensus" that Congress should act quickly to provide aid to both Israel and Ukraine.
Schumer hopes that "something will be done" this week to help the two nations, he said at a press conference in New York, as cited by ABC News.
In February, a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, with $60 billion going toward supporting Kyiv. House Speaker Mike Johnson has yet to put the bill to a vote in his chamber.
Delays in U.S. assistance to Ukraine have already had a direct impact on the battlefield, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka. Amid the escalating situation on the eastern front and intensified Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "Ukraine will lose the war" if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid.
Johnson told in an interview with Fox News aired on April 14 that he was planning to move forward with voting for military aid to Israel after a weekend Iranian attack, without specifying whether the package would include funding for Ukraine.
"The House Republicans and the Republican Party understand the need to stand with Israel. We're going to try again this week, and the details of that package are being put together right now," Johnson said, adding that "all options" are being considered.
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Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) said on April 14 thatIran launched 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles at the country, most of which were downed outside Israel. A few ballistic missiles entered Israeli territory, causing minor damage to the Nevatim Air Force Base, according to IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari.
The attack was reportedly in response to Israel’s strike on an Iranian consulate in Syria on April 1 as part of the broader Israel-Hamas war. Israel targeted the Iranian consulate in response to attacks by Iran's proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, on its territory.
Johnson has faced increased pressure and dissent from far-right House Republicans, who initially blocked Ukraine aid funding due to border security disagreements.
Previously, he rejected the Senate-approved aid bill on the grounds that it did not address the ongoing crisis at the southern border, but he has since signaled his intentions to eventually bring forward a funding package for a vote.
Kris Parker
