"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.
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.
Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, speaks during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kyiv. (Ihor Kuznietsov/Novyny LIVE/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The article was updated with details on the sanctions package provided by the British government.
The U.K. is imposing its largest-ever package of sanctions against Moscow, targeting its "shadow fleet" of tankers and foreign-based companies providing military parts to Russia, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Feb. 24.
"Later today, I will be discussing further steps with the G7. And I am clear that the G7 should take more risk, including the oil price cap, sanctioning Russia's oil giants, and going after banks that are enabling the evasion of sanctions," Starmer said in a video address to the Support Ukraine summit in Kyiv.
Starmer's announcement, made on the third anniversary of the full-scale war, comes shortly after Australia and New Zealand announced additional sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
Kyiv's international partners are ramping up economic pressure on Moscow just as the Trump administration pushes for peace talks and signals that sanction relief could be part of an eventual peace deal.
The new package of sanctions contains 107 listings, including companies based in Central Asia, China, India, Turkey, and elsewhere that produce and supply dual-used goods to the Russian military.
The list also includes 40 "shadow fleet" vessels used to avoid sanctions, 14 Russian oligarchs, financial institutions supporting Russia's war effort, and North Korean Defense Minister No Kwang Chol and other North Korean generals and senior officials involved in the deployment of around 11,000 North Korean troops in Russia's war against Ukraine, the British government said in a statement.
The British prime minister reiterated that the U.K. is ready to provide Ukraine with 4.5 billion pounds ($5.7 billion) in military aid in 2025, the most significant yearly sum provided since the outbreak of the full-scale war.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey previously announced the sum during the Ramstein-format meeting on Feb. 12. According to the media, London is also expected to announce an additional defense aid package later on Feb. 24.
European countries are looking for ways to increase military support for Ukraine as the continued U.S. commitment grows uncertain under President Donald Trump.
"If we want peace to endure, Ukraine must have a seat at the table, and any settlement must be based on sovereign Ukraine, backed by strong security guarantees," Starmer said.
"The U.K. is ready and willing to support this with troops on the ground, with the Europeans, and with the right conditions in place," Starmer said, adding that the U.S. "backstop" will be crucial to deter any future Russian aggression.
The British prime minister is expected to meet Trump in Washington later this week to discuss peace efforts in Ukraine. The Telegraph previously reported that Starmer's plan includes deploying 30,000 peacekeepers in Ukraine in case of a ceasefire, who would be backed by U.S. firepower.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Kateryna Denisova
