U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
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."
Alleged aftermath of the drone attack in Ufa, Russia, overnight on March 3, 2025. (Telegram)
A large fire broke out overnight at the Ufimsky oil refinery in the Russian city of Ufa some 1,400 kilometers inside Russia, local authorities reported on March 3.
Regional emergency services said the fire had been extinguished, adding: "No excess of harmful substances has been recorded near the plant."
Russian Telegram channels reported an explosion at the refinery before the fire broke out. The Kyiv Independent could not verify the reports.
Ukrainian attack drones successfully conducted one of the deepest strikes of the war tonight, hitting Russia’s Ufa Oil Refinery, over 1300 km behind the frontline.
Ukraine considers Russian oil facilities to be valid military targets, as fossil fuel profits supply Moscow's war operations.
Kyiv has not commented on the fire.
The refinery, owned by Bashneft, has a processing capacity of 168,000 barrels per day, with its oil supply mainly coming from Bashkiria and western Siberia.
It is one of Russia’s largest oil refineries. Ufa, the capital of Russia's Bashkortostan Republic, lies 1,520 km east of Moscow and 550 km north of Kazakhstan's border.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Chris York
