Standoff in Ukraine: Live Updates +++ 03:38 – Cranking Up the Heat on Russia's Energy and Financial Sector
Sanctions to target Russia's energy and financial industries
Fuck, this bullshit's getting serious. The West and the States are giving Putin the middle finger for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine starting Monday. Post-hangout with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British PM Keir Starmer, French Prez Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv, these movers n' shakers throw out a joint statement to Russia: "We're tossing some rough shit at Russia's banking and energy sector if they reject a full, no-strings-attached ceasefire. We're talking about hammering fossil fuels, oil, and the shady fleet," the statement reads. "An unconditional ceasefire by definition can't have fuckin' conditions," it continues. "If Russia tries to impose conditions, that's just more bullshit to prolong the war and sabotage diplomacy." Putin, ever the cocky bastard, proposes direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv without any pre-conditions (Check out 01:19 for the deets).
02:15 – Boom goes the dynamite *USA approves Germany's shipment of 125 long-range rockets and 100 Patriots to Ukraine, according to the "New York Times." The feds dropped the green light on Germany to send 125 long-range artillery rockets and 100 Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine. The hardware originated from the US; even its own country can't chuck it out without the States' seal of approval.
01:19 – May 15 in Istanbul – Putin speaks, word's not enough Russian President Vladimir Putin throws a dinner party proposal for direct talks between Russia and Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul. Russia's all about "serious, no pre-condition chats" and wants to kick things off as early as next Thursday, May 15th in Istanbul. Putin hints at the possibility of agreeing to a new ceasefire in these talks, but he's keeping it vague about the whole 30-day unconditional ceasefire thing demanded by Ukraine and their European buddies.
00:38 – Time's up The three-day ceasefire declared by Russia in Ukraine is kaput. Putin called for a three-day ceasefire in Ukraine, effective midnight on Wednesday, thanks to some fancy war commemorations in Moscow. Ukraine's yapping about a 30-day ceasefire, the States are on board with that, too.
23:18 – Macron: Soldiers in Ukraine could be the Swiss Army Knife solution France is working with its partners on potentially bolstering Ukraine in its tussle against Russia with troops. "Having soldiers in Ukraine is the key," President Emmanuel Macron spilled to "Le Parisien." The chiefs of staff from Britannia, France, and Ukraine have already compared notes. "It's all falling into place and making headway," Macron said, keeping the deets lowkey.
22:11 – Zelensky bins the US proposal for a demilitarized zone – "It's as dead as a doornail" Ukrainian Prez Volodymyr Zelensky shot down the idea of creating a demilitarized zone in the Ukraine-Russia beef at a presser with Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Tusk in Kyiv. This contradicts the words of the U.S. special rep for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, as reported by the online newspaper "European Pravda." The notion of a demilitarized zone as a solution to Russia's beef with Ukraine was first suggested by Kellogg. In a Fox News interview on Sunday, the special rep for Trump described the idea as a buffer zone where both sides would withdraw 15 kilometers, forming a 30-kilometer-wide area monitored by observers from third countries. Zelensky breaks it down: "Ukraine's not proposing the creation of a demilitarized zone." Creating such a zone would put Kyiv's control of important Ukrainian cities at risk. "If we agree on a buffer zone and withdraw 15 kilometers from cities like Kherson, Kharkiv, and Sumy, there'll be peace, but the war will continue because the artillery will fly over them." It's too soon to pull the trigger on this idea, "[and] the idea itself is dead," Zelensky added.
21:43 – Zelensky, Macron, Starmer pay their respects to fallen heroes at the "Wall of Remembrance" in Kyiv During their visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, paid their respects to fallen defenders of Ukraine at the Mychajliwska Square memorial wall. Macron and Starmer praised the bravery and courage of the Ukrainians who gave their lives to protect their homeland, according to the state-owned Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.
Catch up on all previous developments here.
- Ukraine War
- Banking Sanctions
- Energy Sanctions
- Fossil Fuels
- Oil Sanctions
- Russia
- USA
- Ukraine
- Warfare
- Military Operations
- Wars and Conflicts
- Europe
- Nato
- Cyberwarfare
- Attack on Ukraine
- Volodymyr Zelensky
- Vladimir Putin
- The West and the States have imposed employment policies on Russia, threatening sanctions on its banking and energy sector over the war in Ukraine.
- In a joint statement, leaders from Germany, France, the UK, Poland, and Ukraine warned Russia about the potential consequences of rejecting a full ceasefire in Ukraine.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President, has refused the idea of creating a demilitarized zone, stating that it would put Kyiv's control of key cities at risk.
- The USA has approved Germany's shipment of 125 long-range rockets and 100 Patriots to Ukraine, despite them originating from US stockpiles.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv, without any pre-conditions, to be held in Istanbul on May 15th. However, he remains vague about the terms of a potential ceasefire.
