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."
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.
European Council President Charles Michel during his Feb. 3 visit to Kyiv for the Ukraine-EU summit. Photo: Charles Michel/Twitter.
European Council President Charles Michel has arrived in Kyiv for the historic Ukraine-EU summit set to take place later on Feb. 3. "There will be no let up in our resolve. We will also support you every step of the way on your journey to the EU," Michel wrote on Twitter.
The Ukraine-EU summit is an annual event as part of Article 5 of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU.
According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, at the Feb. 3 summit, EU and Ukrainian officials will discuss the country's progress in meeting seven requirements for joining the union and the following opening of accession negotiations.
The meeting will also focus on new sanctions against Russia, implementing the "peace formula" proposed by Ukraine, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes, and the country's post-war reconstruction.
"We are preparing to present the implementation results of all seven recommendations of the European Commission and expect a positive assessment of our efforts by the EU," said Kuleba. "We expect significant progress in approaching the EU internal market, cooperation in the energy sector..."
On Jan. 31, Euractive reported, citing a draft summit communique, that the European Union's top officials wouldn't commit to Ukraine's quick entry into the union at the summit.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 30 that he expects Ukraine to achieve the "pre-entry stage of negotiations" to join the European Union this year. He said he hopes Ukraine can make a "significant leap forward" at the upcoming meeting.
European Commission Head Ursula von der Leyen, with 15 more Commission members and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell came to Kyiv on Feb. 2. Upon arrival in the morning, the delegation of more than a dozen members from the EU's executive branch held a meeting with the Ukrainian government.
On that day, the EU council announced that it would provide Ukraine with another 500 million euros ($542 million) for the seventh tranche of military aid, along with an additional 45 million euros ($49 million) for the training of Ukrainian troops.
Borrell said that the bloc would also double the number of Ukrainian soldiers to be trained this year to 30,000 and provide 25 million euros ($27.5 million) to help Ukraine demine liberated areas.
Ukraine applied for EU membership in February 2022, a few days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion. The European Union granted Ukraine candidate status on June 23.
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