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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Nov. 4, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Viktor Kovalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked the international community to send a signal to Russia that the world will not tire of supporting Ukraine in a daily address on Nov. 19.
"We continue to prepare for the planned international events this week," Zelenksy stated. "The key thing now is guarantees that Ukraine's support will be sufficient next year as well. I thank all the countries that are looking at this as we are. We need this signal to Russia: no matter what they do, the world will not tire of defending freedom and international order."
The Ukrainian leader also thanked the Netherlands for recent waves of military aid.
"Thank you, Mark, Mr. Prime Minister, and the entire society of the Netherlands. This is a timely signal. It is important to feel that the defense of freedom relies on reliable and sincere support."
The U.S. has been the largest single contributor of aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in terms of military assistance, humanitarian aid, and financial support.
However, support for Ukraine has increasingly become politicized in the U.S., becoming a partisan issue in which Democrats are much more likely to support continued aid, compared to a higher degree of opposition among Republicans.
This has become especially apparent after the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, as U.S. funding for Israel and Ukraine has become increasingly linked in Congress.
On Oct. 20, U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a $105 billion joint funding bill that contained defense aid for both Ukraine and Israel, but it has not made it through Congress as of the time of this publication.
The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, emphasized that the U.S.'s support for Ukraine will most likely decrease, and the EU should have the political willingness to continue to send aid regardless.
Earlier this weekend, U.S Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will prioritize passing further military aid packages for Ukraine and Israel so that they are approved before Christmas.
Alexander Khrebet
