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.
Vsevolod Kniaziev, the head of Ukraine's Supreme Court dismissed by a no-confidence vote on May 16, 2023. (Supreme Court press service)
A plenary meeting of Ukraine's Supreme Court has voted to dismiss the court's head, Vsevolod Kniaziev, who was earlier detained for allegedly receiving a $3 million bribe.
According to the court's press service, 140 out of 142 judges voted in favor of the decision.
Kniaziev didn't lose his judicial privilege since the Supreme Council of Justice is the only body that can strip him of that status.
The new Chairman of the Supreme Court would be elected at a later date. Dmytro Luspenyk, the secretary of the Supreme Court's plenary sessions, was named acting head of the court due to having the longest tenure in office.
Kniaziev was detained by authorities on May 15, with charges against him to be filed later, according to the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
Ukrainian news outlet ZN.UA, citing its source at the NABU, reported on May 15 that Kniaziev had allegedly received money for supporting a court ruling in favor of Ukrainian oligarch Kostiantyn Zhevago who denied the accusation.
During the press briefing on May 16, NABU Head Semen Kryvonos confirmed that Zhevago was involved in the alleged bribery case.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Zhevago, concerning the ownership of 40.19% of the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant, part of the oligarch's Ferrexpo group.
On Feb. 2, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported that the plant's chief accountant had been charged with tax evasion and forgery.
According to the investigation, in 2018-2021, the suspect entered false information into the company's documents, which helped it avoid paying Hr 2 billion ($54.6 million) in rent payments to the state budget for using an iron ore deposit.
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Oleg Sukhov
