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Morning Headlines
The Kyiv Independent: Trump refuses to impose sanctions on Russia as it may hinder future business and trade opportunities with Moscow, the New York Times reported on May 20.
Sens. Chuck Grassley and Amy Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of US senators in introducing a resolution calling for the return of abducted Ukrainian children before any peace agreement is finalized ending the war against Ukraine.
Reuters: Canada is considering helping build a pension system like its own for Ukraine, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said on Tuesday.
Reuters: Indonesia's Pertamina has been importing Russian crude since last year to its refineries, the CEO of Pertamina's refinery unit said at a conference on Wednesday. He added that they still comply with U.S. sanctions on Russian crude.
More News
Reuters: Polish authorities have indicted a man charged with planning to help Russian foreign intelligence services prepare a possible attempt to assassinate Ukraine's president, prosecutors said on Tuesday.
The Insider: Russia’s Khmeimim air base in Syria has reportedly come under attack. According to Russian media, Telegram channels, and pro-war bloggers, multiple unidentified militants attempted to breach the perimeter of the base but were repelled at its security checkpoints.
Bloomberg: The European Union is likely to propose a quota as the mechanism to enforce a bloc-wide import ban on Russian gas by the end of 2027, which officials say should provide companies with a legal basis to terminate long-term purchase contracts (archive).
Reuters: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a statement on Tuesday that Pope Leo had confirmed during a phone call with her his willingness to host in the Vatican the next round of negotiations to try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
AP News: The European Union agreed Tuesday to provide emergency funds to help keep Radio Free Europe afloat after the Trump administration stopped grants to the pro-democracy media outlet.
The Kyiv Independent: The United States is working with NATO partners to locate additional Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 20 during Senate testimony on the State Department's budget.
Politico: Russia has pledged to send the U.S. “terms for what they would require in order to reach a ceasefire” with Ukraine following this week’s phone call between Trump and Putin, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday.
The Moscow Times: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted Tuesday that Trump had offered no concessions to Russia, as he rejected criticism over the administration's Ukraine policy at a Senate hearing.
Reuters: The EU and Britain announced new sanctions against Russia on Tuesday without waiting for Washington to join them, a day after Trump's phone call with Putin brought about neither a ceasefire in Ukraine nor fresh U.S. sanctions.
The Kyiv Independent: Ukraine will receive 400,000 additional artillery shells in 2025 through the Czech-led munitions initiative, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has announced.
Dallas (analytics & reconnaissance): Despite the rapid aging of the aircraft, Russia is expanding its fleet of strategic bombers. At present, Tu-95MS, Tu-160, and Tu-22M bombers are undergoing repairs and modernization in Kazan, Ryazan, and Taganrog. Russia has allocated $270 million for this program.
The Kyiv Independent: Russian law enforcement agencies have sent 20,000 naturalized migrants to fight in Ukraine for failing to register for military service. It signals an intensifying crackdown on Russia's migrant population as the Kremlin struggles to meet front line manpower needs.
The Guardian: Three German-Russian dual citizens have gone on trial in Munich accused of spying on behalf of the Kremlin and planning attacks on critical military infrastructure and industry.
The Kyiv Independent: The US plans to spend about $250 million of foreign aid funds to repatriate people from active conflict zones, including about 200,000 Ukrainians and 500,000 Haitians, the Washington Post reported.
Reuters: Ukraine wants the Group of Seven advanced economies to reduce its price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $30 per barrel, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Tuesday. The current G7 price cap, imposed over Russia's war in Ukraine, is $60 per barrel.
Reuters: German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday accused Putin of not really being interested in peace in Ukraine, saying he was only playing for time in talks with the United States. Europe needs to increase the pressure on Russia by imposing more sanctions, especially on Russia's energy sales, Pistorius added.
Reuters: Russia's Arctic LNG 2 plant, which is subject to U.S. sanctions, has started production at its second train even after it has been unable to sell liquefied natural gas from a first train.
worth mentioning
Russian Occupation Update, May 19, 2025 - ISW
How Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service fabricates “secret dispatches” from its “agents” abroad
Romanian vote loser Simion claims France interfered in election
Hungarian lawmakers approve bill to quit International Criminal Court
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