President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
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.
The team of the Ukrainian-Swiss sports startup Blocksport poses for a photo during a training program in Switzerland on Nov. 25, 2019. (Blocksport)
Ukrainian-Swiss startup Blocksport has raised $6 million in an initial coin offering, the company’s co-founder Volodymyr Liulka announced on Dec. 7.
Investors included Chinese digital asset manager FBG Capital, the Dubai-based venture fund NewTribe VC, Mexican crypto platform MEXC, and Australian investors LVT Capital, among others.
Initial coin offerings or ICOs are the process of crowdfunding with cryptocurrency - a company sells tokens instead of shares. They are considered to be very risky and speculative investments.
Blocksport’s BSPT token grants holders the ability to purchase other Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) – unique digital items such as cards with the images of athletes. BSPT holders can use Blocksport’s platform to buy and sell NFTs, as well as earn some for free by just using the platform. Users can keep 90% of their profits, and a 10% commission goes to the company.
With the money raised at the offering, Blocksport plans to expand globally and hire tech specialists to strengthen their research and development center in Ukraine. By the end of this year, Blocksport plans to raise another $500,000 via ICO to accomplish these goals. It wants to eventually issue 1 billion BSPT tokens.
Founded in 2019, Blocksport has already attracted $1.2 million from traditional venture investors prior to raising $6 million in the recent ICO.
Blocksport’s primary business is helping develop mobile apps for athletes to find sponsors, sell merch or keep tabs on fans.
But the company has also set its sights on the buzzy and lucrative market for NFTs. Each NFT is a distinct digital item with a unique blockchain signature, like a sports card.
NFT can be an additional source of revenue for professional teams, which may not know how to work with the technology, according to Liulka.
Self-promotion through NFTs is especially popular among esports athletes — Blocksport works with them as well. As of December, Blocksport counts 14 esports businesses and 12 traditional sports teams among its clients, including Ukraine’s most famous football club Dynamo Kyiv, Serbian rugby club Red Star, and cycling league in Belgium.
NFTs are a risky investment because the global crypto market lacks regulation. In Ukraine, for example, President Volodymyr Zelensky vetoed a bill legalizing cryptocurrency in October because Ukraine doesn’t have money to finance a new cryptocurrency regulator.
For Liulka it should be less of a problem because his company is headquartered in Zug, also known as Switzerland’s "Crypto Valley" for having some of the best legislation for cryptocurrency users.
Daryna Antoniuk is a tech reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She worked in the same role at the Kyiv Post and has focused on Ukrainian startups, investment and the fintech market. Antoniuk previously was a tech reporter for Forbes Ukraine. Her work has also been published at Sifted and The Record. She graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv with BA in journalism and communications.
