"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.
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.
Russia's figure skater Kamila Valieva competes in the women's short program during the Russian Grand Prix of Figure Skating at the Megasport Arena in Moscow on October 22, 2022. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
The International Skating Union (ISU)dismissed on Jan. 30 the results of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva from her team's total score at the 2022 Winter Olympics, stripping it of the gold medal and declaring the U.S. the winner.
A day before, Valieva was found guilty of an anti-doping violation and banned from competition for four years, effective from December 2021. The decision made by Switzerland's Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) also strips Valieva of any titles and awards received after that date.
At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, then-15-year-old Valieva dominated headlines, becoming the first woman to complete a quadruple jump and leading her country's team to gold.
A day later, news emerged that she had tested positive for trimetazidine, a heart medicine that can boost stamina, at the Russian national championships weeks before the Games. The medal ceremony was postponed until the CAS decision on Valieva's doping case.
According to the reevaluated results of the Olympics figure skating event, the U.S. team ranked first, followed by Japan and Russia. The Russian Olympic Committee said it would appeal the decision to strip Russia of gold.
Canada, who finished fourth at the 2022 Games, also reportedly said it is considering appealing the ISU decision as it had assumed it would be awarded bronze after Valieva's marks were erased.
Valieva was also stripped of her gold at the 2022 European Figure Skating Championships, according to the ISU.
"The ISU welcomes the decision of CAS and firmly maintains its position that the protection of clean athletes and the fight against doping are of the highest priority and will persist in the ongoing effort to uphold the integrity of fair competition and the well-being of athletes," the union said in a statement.
Valieva claimed that she had accidentally taken trimetazidine prescribed for her grandfather. Russia's anti-doping body had cleared her of any wrongdoing, citing her minor age when the sample was taken, with the CAS arguing that "there is no basis under the rules to treat them (minors) any differently from an adult athlete."
The ban imposed by the CAS will end in 2025, which means Valieva will be able to compete at the next Winter Olympics in 2026.
Mark Temnycky
