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.
According to the Verkhovna Rada's website, Ukraine completed the ratification of the U.S.-Ukraine minerals agreement on May 12. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the deal.
"I myself have heard relatives talking: our village is being attacked, let's roll the car out of the garage, maybe they will shell it — at least we will get money. The car is old, we can't sell it," Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
The new tranche brings total recent EU defense support for Ukraine to 3.3 billion euros ($3.6 billion), marking a significant expansion of European efforts to boost Kyiv's defense industry.
Penny Pritzker (L), the U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine, and Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov after a meeting in Kyiv on Oct. 16, 2023. (Oleksandr Kubrakov/Facebook)
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with nearly $700 million in funds to improve and modernize the country's logistics and transport infrastructure, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Oct. 17.
Kubrakov did not specify the precise amount of funds.
The announcement came after talks with Penny Pritzker, the U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine, who arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 16.
The funds will be used to improve the conditions of Ukraine's railways, ports, checkpoints, and other transportation infrastructure.
In addition, Kubrakov said that he had discussed a number of other issues with Pritzker, including preparations for the upcoming winter and nearly inevitable Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, modernizing the water and sewage systems of Ukrainian systems, de-mining operations, and supporting the development of Ukraine's agricultural industry.
Kubrakov emphasized that he and Pritzker generally shared the same goal; "to rebuild Ukraine better than it was."
On Oct. 16, Pritzker met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and the two discussed how to ensure Ukraine's macro-financial stability in 2024, attract private investment for reconstruction projects, and use frozen Russian assets as a significant source of funds for the country's recovery.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced Pritzker's appointment on Sept. 14, characterizing her involvement in the newly created role as the "next step to help Ukraine forge a stronger future."
Elsa Court
