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.
U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine Penny Pritzker and U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink shake hands at the Kyiv train station, Ukraine, on Oct. 16, 2023. (Bridget Brink/X)
Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine, arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 16, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink reported.
This is Pritzker's first visit to Ukraine since the appointment in September.
"A very warm welcome back to Kyiv, Secretary Pritzker!" Brink wrote on X (formerly Twitter), posting a photo of her and Pritzker at the Kyiv train station.
Previously, Pritzker made three official visits to Ukraine when she held the position of commerce secretary in 2013-2017.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sept. 14 the creation of a U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery and that Pritzker would assume the role.
After the appointment, Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal held a video call with Pritzker, and President Volodymyr Zelensky met her in person in New York, discussing priority areas in Ukraine's reconstruction.
Pritzker, who has familial ties to Ukraine, is credited for her experience as an "accomplished public servant" and "transformative industry leader." Her family found a business empire, which includes the Hyatt hotel group.
Pritzker's tasks will include mobilizing foreign investments, supporting the re-opening of businesses shut down by Russian attacks, and helping Ukraine grow its exports.
Elsa Court
