This week, the world watched in anticipation for Russia’s Victory Day parade after President Volodymyr Zelensky commented that he could not guarantee the safety of those attending. Meanwhile, the European Union moves one step forward to banning Russian gas from the European continent. It is also revealed this week that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has fallen out of step with the White House.
"(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin... doesn't want to have a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the bloodbath. Ukraine should agree to this, immediately," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to to Antalya, Turkey, for a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting from May 14–16, where he is expected to address the war in Ukraine and push for stronger Allied defense commitments.
The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
The assault began around 2 a.m. on May 11, with Russian forces deploying 108 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy UAVs from multiple directions, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end... I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens."
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) shakes hands with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a Meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels on Oct. 11, 2023. (Olivier Matthys/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the delivery of a new $200 million package of military support for Ukraine on Oct. 11.
The package includes AIM-9 munitions for a "new air defense system" soon to be delivered to Ukraine, as well as artillery and rocket ammunition, precision aerial munitions, anti-tank weapons, and equipment to counter Russian drones, Austin said.
The announcement came at the 16th Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, which was also attended by President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time in person, among other NATO officials and international partners.
Austin addressed concerns that the U.S. would have difficulty supporting allies Israel and Ukraine simultaneously. He declared that U.S. support for Israel's security "will remain ironclad," but also that the U.S. "will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
As winter approaches, Austin stressed that Ukraine's primary needs are strengthening air defense and securing more ammunition. The latest round of support was aimed at addressing those specific issues.
In addition, Austin added that he wanted to see more forward-thinking from Ukraine's allies about how to help achieve long-term goals. After successful coalition building on specific platforms, such as the procurement of Leopard tanks, Austin said the next steps should be coalition building on wider capabilities.
This latest package puts the total support from the U.S. at almost $44 billion since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
Despite the U.S.'s considerable commitment, Austin noted that more than 12 of the coalition's 50 partners had already donated a higher percentage of their GDP than the U.S.
"Unity will remain the beating heart of this coalition," he emphasized in his concluding remarks.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Nate Ostiller
