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.
"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.
U.K. Defense Minister John Healy speaks during a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing's defense ministers at NATO headquarters on April 10, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)
Troops deployed to Ukraine to monitor a potential ceasefire as part of the "coalition of the willing" will not act as a traditional peacekeepers, but as a support to Ukraine's own forces, U.K. Defense Minister John Healy said on April 10.
The coalition, led by the U.K. and France, convened a summit of defense ministers at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on April 10. Representatives from 30 member countries discussed military planning and operational readiness in anticipation of a potential ceasefire.
While 15 countries have reportedly agreed to contribute troops to a "reassurance force," Healy said that these units should not be described as peacekeepers.
"This is not a peacekeeping force that will separate the currently warring sides down the line of contact," Healy told a press briefing in Brussels attended by a Kyiv Independent journalist.
"The most effective deterrence against renewed (Russian President Vladimir) Putin aggression, the best way of cementing a ceasefire is to strengthen the Ukrainian forces themselves."
Healy outlined the coalition's four strategic objectives following the summit: a safe sky, a secure sea, peace on land, and a strong Ukrainian military. In the coming weeks, the defense ministers intend to accelerate the planning process in each specific domain.
Planning is complicated by the "known unknowns" surrounding the precise terms of a future peace settlement, Healy acknowledged. The U.S. has been involved in multiple rounds of ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and Russia, but thus far Europe has been excluded from these discussions.
"In terms of the negotiations, this isn't about negotiations," Healy said.
"It's about being ready for the point after the negotiations, when we get a ceasefire and the prospect of a longer term peace. For Ukraine, they know that their best deterrence and the best guarantor of a durable peace is their own armed forces strength."
Healy said that fortifying Ukraine's military is essential to securing a lasting peace, something U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly identified as a top priority of his administration.
"The U.S. are looking to broker a lasting peace," Healy said.
"You won't have a lasting and durable peace unless there is a strength of deterrence inherent in the Ukrainian forces and sufficient to say to Putin: you cannot use this as an opportunity to reboot and invade."
Healy also urged Ukraine's allies to put additional pressure on Putin to force him into meaningful negotiations.
Bloomberg reported on April 9 that the coalition's efforts have been stymied by Washington's refusal to provide concrete security guarantees to Ukraine. While Trump has ruled out U.S. participation in the "reassurance force," France and the U.K. hope to secure U.S. airpower, intelligence support, or border surveillance as a backstop to the coalition's efforts.
At least 37 countries, including European, Asian, and Commonwealth nations, have been involved in the coalition's discussions. Members have pledged assistance in the form of troops, intelligence, weapons, and naval support.
Allied troops, which could number between 10,000 and 30,000, would likely work to secure strategic facilities in the rear while Ukrainian forces would continue to act as the main deterrent to Russian aggression.
"The future force that Ukraine wishes to establish and the support ... that they will get from nations led by the U.K. and France, as part of the coalition of willing, will be essentially part of deterring Russia for the future and giving the Ukrainians their sovereignty and their control and the best guarantee of peace for the future," Healy said.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
