President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
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.
A campaign slogan for Ukraine's NATO membership is seen on a bus during the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11, 2023. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NATO's July summit in Washington will contain new language regarding Ukraine's membership in the alliance, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith said during a briefing in Prague on May 29, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.
Kyiv did not receive the much-desired invitation nor a firm deadline to join the alliance during the 2023 NATO summit in Vilnius, even though NATO took steps to tighten cooperation.
Ukrainian officials have voiced hope that the Washington meeting, scheduled for July 9-11, will bring a more definite signal.
Ukraine is unlikely to receive a membership invitation at the alliance's July summit, Julianne said, echoing statements by other officials. However, work on further support for Kyiv on its way to NATO is ongoing, she added.
"It (NATO's declaration) will not look exactly the same as the one we had last year. We have to agree on this. The alliance has some very important and useful ideas, some interesting proposals,” Julianne said.
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One of the ideas under discussion is the appointment of a NATO representative to Ukraine to oversee efforts to support the country, according to the ambassador.
“We are looking at ways to identify and provide additional resources for our friends in Ukraine... This would send a sustained message to Moscow that none of us are stepping away, and that NATO allies are willing to make a long-term commitment to our friends in Ukraine,” Julianne added.
Her remarks came after reports that Kyiv will not advance further towards NATO membership at this year’s annual summit due to concerns that the alliance could be drawn into a war with Russia.
The upcoming event can be "highly focused" on the creation of a roadmap for Ukraine to join the alliance in the future, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in April.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance's former secretary general, said that NATO's invitation to Ukraine "would be a controversial and at least an unprecedented decision to take."
Rasmussen nevertheless suggested that this step could serve as "an instrument" to ending Russia's war.
Kateryna Denisova
