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.
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.
Luxembourg's Defense Minister Yuriko Backes at a ceremony in Steenokkerzeel, Belgium, on Feb. 20, 2024. (Laurie Diefembacq/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)
Luxembourg is joining the Czech-led ammunition initiative to procure hundreds of thousands of sorely needed artillery shells for Ukraine, the country's defense ministry said on March 8.
As Ukraine faces critical ammunition shortages due to delays in U.S. aid, Czech President Petr Pavel said in February 2024 that Prague identified 800,000 artillery shells abroad that could be sent to Ukraine within weeks if it received enough funds from other allies.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), which tracks international support for Ukraine, Luxembourg has committed 130 million euros ($142 million) as of January 2024.
Military support formed the bulk of Luxembourg's commitments, at 110 million euros ($120 million).
Asami Terajima
