Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
"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.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power.”
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
Kostyantyn Zhevago, billionaire and Ferrexpo CEO, walks to his vehicle in Horishni Plavni in Ukraine in July 2019. Automobile company AvtoKrAZ owned by Zhevago may soon be nationalized, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Four companies associated with controversial businessmen Kostyantyn Zhevago, Ihor Kolomoisky, and Konstantin Grigorishin may soon be nationalized, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing unnamed sources in the National Securities and Stock Market Commission. The sources said the decision was made on Nov. 6.
The Ukrainian government may reportedly take full control of Ukrnafta, Ukrtatnafta, AvtoKrAZ, and Zaporizhtransformator.
Reportedly, the country could also take over Motor Sich, one of the world's leading manufacturers of aircraft engines based in Zaporizhzhia, whose head Viacheslav Bohuslaiev was arrested on Oct. 23. He is suspected of collaborating with Russia.
There has been no official confirmation so far about this possible nationalization campaign, but an unnamed source in the President's Office told Forbes Ukraine that the government is indeed working on legislation to regulate strategic enterprises during the war.
Ukrainska Pravda wrote that it's unknown if the government would pay any compensation for the shares private owners have in these companies.
About 42% of oil company Ukrnafta, for example, reportedly belongs to companies associated with Kolomoisky. The rest is been state-owned. Kolomoisky and his business partner Gennadiy Boholyubov also reportedly own roughly 60% of the shares in Ukrtatnafta, one of the largest producers of oil products in the country.
Kolomoisky and Boholyubov were once the owners of PrivatBank, which was nationalized in 2016. According to an independent audit, PrivatBank had a $5.5 billion hole in its ledger; the now state-owned bank is suing Kolomoisky in Ukraine, Switzerland, Britain, and the United States.
In July, Kolomoisky was allegedly stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.
Automobile company AvtoKrAZ is owned by Zhevago, who faces high-profile embezzlement charges after allegedly siphoning $113 million from Finance & Credit Bank he used to own. The bank is now defunct. Zhevago was charged with embezzlement in September 2019. His whereabouts are unknown, but he still owns a majority stake in mining firm Ferrexpo, while his net worth, according to Forbes, is $1.3 billion.
The manufacturer of power transformer equipment Zaporizhtransformator belongs to Grigorishin. Back in 2016, Grigorishin admitted he had financed Ukraine's Communist Party and had Russian citizenship. In Russia, Grigorishin was charged in absentia with tax evasion and sentenced to four years in prison in 2020.
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