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.
A view of ingots of 99.99% pure gold in Novosibirsk, Russia on Sept. 15, 2023. (Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The British government has targeted Russian gold in a new set of sanctions, the U.K. Foreign Ministry announced on Nov. 8.
The sanctions list includes 29 individuals and entities that support "Russia’s gold, oil, and strategic sectors," ranging from Russian businesses and oligarchs to companies based in third-party countries.
This includes a network of gold traders based in the United Arab Emirates that has channeled over $300 million in gold revenues to Russia, the British government believes.
Two of Russia’s largest gold producers and the country's largest gold refiner have also been targeted.
Gold is a critical source "of revenue for the Russian war machine," U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly said.
The element was "worth 12.6 billion pounds ($15.5 billion) to the Russian economy in 2021," making it one of the highest-value income streams for Russia after oil and gas, according to the British government.
The National Crime Agency, the lead law enforcement agency against organized crime in the U.K., also issued a "Red Alert" to raise awareness that Russia is using gold to evade sanctions.
The agency warns of deliberate attempts to "launder sanctioned gold to mask its origin so that it can be hidden in supply chains and sold in the U.K. and around the world."
The new package also targets Russia's oil sector, with the energy trading company Paramount Energy & Commodities on the list.
The firm "is known to employ opaque ownership structures and has been used by Russia to soften the blow of oil-related sanctions imposed by the U.K. in coordination with G7 partners," the Foreign Ministry said.
U.K. sanctions against Russia have so far targeted over 1,800 individuals, businesses, and groups.
This number includes 129 oligarchs, who had a combined net worth of 145 billion pounds ($178 billion) in February 2022, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Daniil Ukhorskiy
