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.
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a visit to Vilnius, Lithuania, on April 5, 2024. (PM Denys Shmyhal/Telegram)
Ukraine proposed to ban air transit to Russia and Belarus as part of the international sanctions policy, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during his visit to Lithuania on April 5.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the EU and other countries banned Russian airlines or Russian-owned airplanes from using EU airspace, as well as prohibited the export of aviation-related technology.
The idea of banning air transit aims to limit the economic potential of Russia and increase sanctions pressure on the country, according to Shmyhal.
Lithuania imposed entry restrictions on Russian citizens in September 2022 as part of a joint agreement with Latvia, Estonia, and Poland. Czechia imposed similar restrictions in October 2022.
Shmyhal arrived in Vilnius earlier on April 5 following his visits to the two other Baltic countries, Estonia and Latvia, previously this week.
The prime minister met his Lithuanian counterpart, Ingrida Simonyte, and the country's President Gitanas Nauseda.
"We look forward to continuing fruitful cooperation in the defense sector. We also talked about sanctions and the confiscation of Russian assets, humanitarian aid, and Ukraine's EU and NATO integration," Shmyhal said after meeting Nauseda.
Vilnius has been one of Kyiv's staunchest supporters against Russian aggression. According to the Kiel Institute of the World Economy, Lithuania's defense contributions to Ukraine are one of the highest in the world in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) shares.
Martin Fornusek
