Ukraine is considering moving away from the U.S. dollar and closer to the euro as a benchmark for the hryvnia, National Bank Governor Andrii Pyshnyi told Reuters.
The Atesh partisan group claims it disabled communication at several Russian military facilities when it allegedly destroyed equipment at a transformer substation in the village of Mogiltsy in Russia's Moscow Oblast.
"The Russians are asking for a certain set of requirements, a certain set of concessions in order to end the conflict. We think they’re asking for too much," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on May 7, according to Politico.
EU ambassadors began talks this week on a 17th sanctions package that targets Russia’s military-industrial complex, Moscow’s shadow shipping fleet, and related support networks.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the trip is currently being coordinated and emphasized that the European Union must do “everything possible” to help secure a lasting cessation of hostilities beyond the upcoming weekend.
Russia launched 187 drones overnight, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones and five Iskander-M ballistic missiles, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson addresses a press conference as a new support package for Ukraine is presented on Feb. 20, 2024, at the Berga Naval Base, part of the Swedish Armed Forces, located south of Stockholm. (Jonathan Nackstrand /AFP via Getty Images)
It will take as long as two years for Sweden to reach the desired capacity to provide Ukraine with more ammunition and strengthen the Swedish Armed Forces, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in an interview with Bloomberg published on May 21.
Since the outbreak of the full-scale Russian invasion, Stockholm has provided Ukraine with military assistance worth around 30 billion Swedish krona ($2.88 billion). The largest defenseaid packagewas announced in February and included 10 CB 90 combat boats, 20 group boats, and underwater weapons.
Jonson outlined three goals for Sweden in the defense sphere, including ensuring Ukraine's victory in Russia's all-out war, integrating Sweden into NATO, and the expansion of the country's military, according to Bloomberg.
"Russia has gotten back on its feet faster than the Euro-Atlantic community... I expect we will catch up, but I think it will take a year or two before we see the full effect," the minister said.
The Swedish government is planning to triple its artillery ammunition production in the next few years, and it will consider potential regulatory changes that could help increase capacity, according to Jonson.
Such a ramp-up is a challenge for Europe, as the countries' defense industrial base was formed for peacetime, he added.
"However, I expect the effect from scaling up to come more in 2025 and 2026," Jonson said.
In March 2024, Sweden officially joined NATO after a lengthy application process triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was immediately vocal in its calls for other alliance members to do more.
Kateryna Denisova
