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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Guests depart after attending the opening ceremony at the 2018 NATO Summit at NATO headquarters on July 11, 2018 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
NATO plans to construct a pipeline network connecting Germany with Poland and the Czech Republic to secure a swift jet fuel supply for fighter jets in case of a war with Russia, Reuters reported on Feb. 22, citing Der Speigel.
According to an internal memo from Germany’s armed forces, Bundeswehr, cited by Der Spiegel, there are "major challenges in ensuring a reliable fuel supply" for troops that would need to be deployed to the eastern border in an emergency.
The current pipeline system of the alliance, dating back to the Cold War, ends in western Germany, Reuters reported.
There has been no official confirmation from Polish and Czech officials yet.
Reuters reports that internal discussions among NATO allies have concluded that pipeline systems are "the backbone of NATO’s fuel supply," as stated in a separate briefing document for senior German defense ministry leaders.
The project is estimated to cost 21 billion euros ($22 billion) and is expected to be completed by 2035.
The report comes amid growing concerns in Kyiv and among European allies about Washington's shifting stance on the war, particularly after the U.S. held direct talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18.
Moscow allegedly demanded that the U.S. withdraw NATO forces from eastern Europe during U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia as a condition for "normalizing relations," the Financial Times (FT) reported on Feb. 20, citing two officials in the region.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed on Feb. 21 that Russia did not ask the U.S. to withdraw the troops, while the U.S. delegation also reportedly rejected the demand.
However, concerns remain over what concessions U.S. President Donald Trump might consider to secure a deal with Russia on ending its war against Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin frequently claims that NATO poses a threat to Russia, accusing the alliance of seeking to expand its borders eastward. Moscow has repeatedly used Ukraine's possible entry into NATO as one of the justifications for launching its full-scale invasion.
Oleg Sukhov
