On 14 May, the EU Council approved Ukraine’s Plan for reconstruction and modernization for the next four years. The Council determined that the plan met the necessary conditions for financial support under the Ukraine Facility worth €50 billion. This decision paved the way for regular payments to finance reforms that would advance Ukraine’s progress towards European Union membership.

On 15 May, two railway workers were killed in Russian shelling targeting railway infrastructure in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Additionally, at least 25 people were injured in Russian bombing and missile strikes on Mykolaiv and Kherson. In the Sumy oblast, one civilian was killed and another was injured. Ukrainian forces attacked Belbek airport, destroying Russian defence systems and aircraft. Estonia as the first country in the world approved the transfer of frozen Russian assets worth approximately $41.3 million, to Ukraine. 

On 16 May, Governor Oleh Siniehubov informed about a difficult situation in the Kharkiv region, where Russian forces continued to advance on Volchansk, shooting local residents and detaining them in basements. Ukraine’s Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, stated that Russian forces had been blocking the evacuation of civilians, a move that could be classified as an act of genocide. Russian forces adopted new tactics, reducing their reliance on armoured vehicles and instead attacking with small infantry groups. The Ukrainian army fought to stabilize the front lines.

The Danish government announced a new $815 million military aid package for Ukraine, including air defence, artillery, missiles, and ammunition. The aid package also included funds for future support of F-16 fighters, which were expected to arrive in Ukraine in the summer of 2024. Meanwhile, it was reported that Turkey had been circumventing sanctions by relabelling Russian oil and selling it to the European Union, which had generated €3 billion in revenue for Russia in 2023.

On 17 May, the EU Council suspended the broadcasting activities of four Russian media outlets: Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia, and Rossiyskaya Gazeta. This decision came as a response to the systematic misinformation campaign conducted by Russia in order to justify and support its invasion of Ukraine. These Russian-controlled media actively spread propaganda on the international stage, distorting facts and manipulating information. The ban aimed at limiting the influence of Russian propaganda in the European Union.

Russia’s drone and bomb attacks on Ukraine killed at least seven civilians. In Kharkiv, four people were killed and 31 injured after two glider bombs had been dropped on the Shevchenkivskyi district. In Kupyansk, residential buildings, a hospital and a kindergarten were damaged, while in Volchansk, Russian troops killed two civilians and wounded one. Moreover, one person was killed and eight injured in a rocket attack in the Odessa oblast.

On 18 May, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that, at the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland, he would present a plan covering three key areas: protecting port infrastructure, global food security and Ukraine’s economic development. Discussions would also cover nuclear and energy security, the exchange of prisoners of war, and the return of deported Ukrainian children. Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland would invest PLN 10 billion in a programme to secure its eastern border and the plan to hold talks about financing the European Sky Shield Initiative with PLN 500 million.

On 20 May, Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Secretary General of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, emphasized that Ukraine was aware that the war with Russia would end with negotiations, therefore, a key element of the Ukrainian strategy was the 10-point peace plan, which had been developed and promoted by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The plan included ensuring nuclear security, the withdrawal of Russian troops, restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the establishment of a special tribunal to deal with war crimes committed by Russia.

Zelensky stressed that ending the war must be based on the principles of international law, and Ukraine would not accept any compromises regarding its sovereignty. The plan also included actions to ensure global food security, the exchange of prisoners of war, and the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

Illustrative photo. Generated by AI