"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.
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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a press conference in Kyiv on April 22, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP)
Ukraine will not legally recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea under any circumstances, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a briefing in Kyiv on April 22.
"There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters.
The statement comes amid reports that the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky warned that any discussion of Crimea risks shifting negotiations into a framework dictated by the Kremlin. He said such proposals play directly into Russian President Vladimir Putin's "game."
"As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, the talks enter the format that Russia wants — prolonging the war – because it will not be possible to agree on everything quickly," he added.
While acknowledging that signals about Crimea have surfaced in different channels, Zelensky said Ukraine would reject immediately any official proposal.
"We know where these signals are sounding and will continue to sound," he said, adding that he was unsure whether they originated from Russia or certain U.S. representatives engaged in dialogue with Putin.
On April 14, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News that a potential peace deal could center on the status of five territories.
While he did not name them explicitly, he is believed to be referring to Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, along with the partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Ukraine is expected to present its position at a follow-up meeting in London on April 23, where delegations from Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France will continue discussions.
Zelensky said the Ukrainian delegation going to London will have a mandate to discuss terms for a full or partial ceasefire with Russia. Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia in any format but only after an unconditional halt to hostilities, he added.
Zelensky also stressed that sustained international pressure — especially from the United States — is necessary to reach a meaningful settlement.
"We've been at war for over 11 years," Zelensky said. "Is it possible to reach an agreement with Russia quickly? No, it is not. It is impossible without pressure."
Despite expressing frustration over Russia's refusal to de-escalate the war, U.S. President Donald Trump has so far avoided imposing any major sanctions or taking punitive action against Moscow.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
