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.
Vladimir Putin during a meeting with workers at the Obukhov State Plant in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered the U.S. to halt his full-scale invasion of Ukraine along the current front line, the Financial Times (FT) reported on April 22, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks.
Putin reportedly conveyed the offer during a recent meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. This could be the first formal indication from Putin since the full-scale war began in 2022 that Russia may consider scaling back its territorial demands.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, responding to the report, cast doubt on its accuracy. "A lot of fakes are being published now, including those published by respected publications, so one should only listen to primary sources," he told the Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti.
Russia illegally declared ownership over Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and over Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022, in violation of international law. Russia only partially occupies the four oblasts.
Moscow has repeatedly demanded international recognition of the regions as Russian and that Ukrainian troops completely withdraw from them as part of any peace negotiations.
Putin's message reportedly prompted Washington to propose a "peace settlement," elements of which have since been revealed in media reports, according to the FT.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. proposal — presented in a confidential April 17 meeting in Paris — involves potentially recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and barring Ukraine from NATO membership.
Ukraine has been asked to respond this week, with a follow-up meeting scheduled in London on April 23 involving delegations from Ukraine, the U.S., the U.K., and France. If the parties reach a consensus, the proposal may be formally introduced to Moscow.
European officials cited by the FT expressed concern that Putin's offer is designed to push U.S. President Donald Trump toward accepting broader Kremlin demands.
President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected such conditions on April 22, reiterating that Ukraine will not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea under any scenario.
"This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine," Zelensky said. "As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, the talks enter the format that Russia wants — prolonging the war."
Witkoff, who conveyed Putin's position and is expected to visit Moscow this week, has drawn criticism for backing proposals perceived as aligning with Russian interests.
Washington has signaled that if no progress is made in the coming days, it may abandon its ceasefire mediation efforts.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
