The agreement, signed on April 30, establishes a joint investment fund between Kyiv and Washington and grants the U.S. special access to projects developing Ukraine's natural resources.
Ukraine is considering moving away from the U.S. dollar and closer to the euro as a benchmark for the hryvnia, National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi told Reuters.
The Atesh partisan group claims it disabled communication at several Russian military facilities when it allegedly destroyed equipment at a transformer substation in the village of Mogiltsy in Russia's Moscow Oblast.
"The Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on May 7, according to Politico.
EU ambassadors began talks this week on a 17th sanctions package that targets Russia’s military-industrial complex, Moscow’s shadow shipping fleet, and related support networks.
Illustrative purposes: The EU and Ukrainian flags are displayed during a press conference in Kyiv on May 9, 2024. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The European Union is preparing a military aid package for Ukraine worth approximately 20 billion euros ($20.9 billion), Bloomberg reported on Feb. 21, citing a source familiar with the matter.
The latest package aims to bolster Ukraine's strategic position as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a speedy ceasefire agreement with Russia.
The additional military support would aim to supply Kyiv with air defense systems, artillery ammunition, long-range missiles, and drones, Bloomberg reported. People familiar with the plans said that the details of the discussion will be discussed at an upcoming foreign ministers meeting.
EU member states and allies could offer cash contributions or military equipment to the aid package, sources told Bloomberg, speaking on the condition of anonymity. European leaders would then agree on the final value of the package and approve the aid.
The package could potentially be delayed, as Hungary — one of Europe's most Kremlin-friendly countries — has promised to oppose any additional aid to Ukraine. The German elections, set for Feb. 23, could also affect the timeline.
Earlier this week, Politico reported that the EU was preparing additional security assistance for Ukraine worth at least $6.2 billion.
European leaders have scrambled to deliver military support to Ukraine as the U.S., under the Trump administration, races to make a deal with Moscow. When U.S. and Russian officials met in Riyadh on Feb. 18 for preliminary talks on ending the war, EU officials feared Europe was being shut out of the peace process altogether.
Trump has said he wants Europe to play a greater role in supporting Ukraine's financial and defense needs, but his administration has sent mixed signals as to whether Europeans are welcome in the negotiations process.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Andriy Lyubka
