President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
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.
Illustrative purposes: A vehicle from the Russian truck-maker Kamaz at the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum on Sept. 13, 2022. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia is transporting North Korean soldiers to the front lines via trucks with civilian license plates, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported on Oct. 27.
Russian police officers on Oct. 27 stopped a Kamaz truck with civilian license plates on the Kursk-Voronezh highway, HUR said via its official Telegram channel. The vehicle was reportedly loaded with North Korean military personnel, but the driver did not have documented combat orders.
In an intercepted radio communication, officers of Russia's 810th Separate Marine Brigade are trying to sort out the problem of the stopped truck, according to audio published by HUR. The unit was expecting to receive North Korean reinforcements via the Kamaz truck.
The audio records the officers discussing why the truck was stopped on the Kursk-Voronezh highway and why the driver lacked proper documentation.
HUR's report indicates that North Korean troops are on their way to Russian units, aligning with President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement on Oct. 25 that Russia is planning to send the first North Korean soldiers to a combat zone on Oct. 27-28.
While Russia and North Korea first dismissed Ukraine's reports that North Korean troops were joining the war, the leaders of the two countries have changed their language in recent days, moving from denial to justification.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 24 indirectly acknowledged the presence of North Korean soldiers in Russia, responding to claims of satellite imagery with "if there are images, they reflect something" and citing Pyongyang's defense treaty with Moscow.
North Korea's foreign ministry said on Oct. 25 that any decision to send troops to Russia would comply with international law.
Estimates on the number of North Korean troops sent to the Ukraine-Russia front line have varied. U.S. officials estimated around 3,000 North Korean troops were training in Russia, but National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby indicated that the overall count could now be higher.
South Korean intelligence has informed lawmakers that North Korean troop numbers in Russia could reach 10,000 by December, while Kyiv has said that Pyongyang has sent nearly 12,000 troops to Russia, including 500 officers and three generals.
Dmytro Basmat
