Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, implying only the Russian leader can make real decisions.
This includes at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which Kyiv and its allies put forward a demand for a 30-day unconditional truce, a step that Moscow continues to reject.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
The sanctions appear to be in response to Russia's rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that the U.K., alongside Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland, demanded during a visit to Kyiv on May 10.
"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."
The publications' latest report covers the period of February 24, 2022 to May 8, 2025. Since it was last updated at the end of April, 2,857 additional Russian military personnel have been confirmed killed.
Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
Belarus special police troops block a street as opposition supporters rally to protest against disputed presidential election results in Minsk on Aug. 30, 2020. (Photo by Tut.by/AFP via Getty Images)
Two Belarusians and one Ukrainian were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 11 to 25 years by Belarusian authorities for their alleged involvement in preparing terrorist acts, the Viasna Human Rights Center reported on Dec. 19.
Since the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, which saw Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claim victory in a falsified vote, the country has witnessed a severe crackdown on dissent. Thousands of opposition leaders, activists, and ordinary citizens have been arrested, tortured, and jailed.
Belarusian prosecutors claimed that two men from the group allegedly tried to blow up a section of the railroad, while the third one's actions were classified as "illegal trafficking of explosives." The sentences for each individual were not disclosed.
The detention of these three men alongside three other individuals was announced by the Belarusian KGB on Sept. 11. On the same day, a government propaganda film about the group was aired on state-controlled television. In the film, some of the detainees appeared beaten, others were in chains.
According to Viasna, the propaganda film alleged that one of the detainees contacted Ukraine's Security Service (SBUt) seeking to fight for Ukraine. He was allegedly told by the SBU that his skills were needed in Belarus.
The sentences come as Lukashenko prepares for the January 2025 presidential election, seeking a seventh term after 30 years in power.
Lukashenko has recently pardoned prisoners convicted of extremism, claiming that it was a "humane gesture" toward those who had "gone astray, though these individuals were widely seen as victims of repression following the rigged 2020 election.
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.
Kate Tsurkan
