The agreement, signed on April 30, establishes a joint investment fund between Kyiv and Washington and grants the U.S. special access to projects developing Ukraine's natural resources.
Ukraine is considering moving away from the U.S. dollar and closer to the euro as a benchmark for the hryvnia, National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi told Reuters.
The Atesh partisan group claims it disabled communication at several Russian military facilities when it allegedly destroyed equipment at a transformer substation in the village of Mogiltsy in Russia's Moscow Oblast.
"The Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on May 7, according to Politico.
EU ambassadors began talks this week on a 17th sanctions package that targets Russia’s military-industrial complex, Moscow’s shadow shipping fleet, and related support networks.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Latvian counterpart Andris Spruds hold a joint press conference in Kyiv on Dec. 12, 2023. (Kaniuka Ruslan / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Latvia is building a coalition of about 20 countries who will work together to bolster Ukraine's arsenal of drones, Bloomberg reported on Jan. 16.
Defense Minister Rustem Umverov said on Jan. 5 that Riga would helm a drone coalition in support of Ukraine's military after talks with his Latvian counterpart Andris Spruds. The officials met in Kyiv in mid-December to discuss strategies for Ukrainian defense.
Spruds said on Jan. 16 that the coalition aims to arm Ukraine with "thousands" of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"The main goal is to do everything possible to ensure that as many of these drones as possible are also delivered to Ukraine," Spruds said.
Spruds also acknowledged the importance of drone warfare in Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression. President Volodymyr Zelensky promised on Dec. 19 that Ukraine would produce one million drones in 2024.
As Ukraine enters its third year of war amid weapons shortages and uncertainties over Western aid, Russia has intensified drone and missile strikes against civilian targets and critical infrastructure.
Spruds did not say when the first shipments of drones would be delivered to Ukrainian forces.
"So far, we are at the stage when we are approaching 20 partners," he said.
Zelensky visited Riga on Jan. 11 during a tour of the Baltic States. In addition to the drone coalition, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics pledged a robust military aid package that includes howitzers, ammunition, drones, and anti-tank weapons.
Latvia is a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. The country has committed over 1% of its gross domestic product to military aid for Kyiv, one of the highest shares among all Ukraine's allies.
Francis Farrell
