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.
Veteran Lithuanian politician Andrius Kubilius, first-ever EU defense commissioner, talks to the Kyiv Independent on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 14, 2025. (Olena Zashko/The Kyiv Independent)
A portion of the 800 billion euros (approximately $888 billion) for the ReArm Europe program will be used to provide military support to Ukraine, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said in an interview with European Pravda published May 12.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 4 presented the ReArm Europe plan, a five-point initiative to strengthen the continent's defense capabilities in the face of escalating Russian aggression and shifting U.S. policy on transatlantic relations.
The plan involves a projected 650 billion euros ($684 billion) in increased defense spending and 150 billion euros ($158 billion) in loans for defense investments.
Member states can use these funds to provide Ukraine with weapons and invest in the country's defense industry, Kubilius told European Pravda.
"Only member states can take out loans within the 150 billion euros instrument, but they can use these funds for joint procurement with Ukraine, in particular procurement in the Ukrainian defense industry for the needs of the Armed Forces," he said.
National defense funds can also be used to buy weapons for Ukraine, Kubilius said.
"And of those 650 billion that are intended for national defense spending, part can also be spent on weapons for Ukraine," he said. "This will be a decision of the member states."
Officials have warned that Europe faces critical arms shortages, pointing out that Russia's military expenditures in 2024 surpassed Europe's spending by approximately $5 billion.
At a meeting of European foreign ministers and the EU High Representative in London on May 12, representatives from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom pledged to "play a still greater role in assuring our own security."
"We will use all feasible levers to strengthen our collective defense capability and production and reinforce Europe's technological and industrial base," the ministers wrote in a joint statement. The officials also promised to ramp up military support for Ukraine.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Kateryna Denisova
