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."
An artillery unit of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces firing an L119 British-made howitzer at the Russian infantry on the eastern front, Ukraine, on June 24, 2023. (Sasha Maslov/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The U.K.'s largest arms company, BAE Systems, has opened an office in Ukraine to launch weapons production in partnership with domestic manufacturers, the Ministry of Strategic Industries reported on Aug. 31.
Among the weapons to be made in Ukraine are L119 light field guns, which use NATO-standard ammunition. Ukrainian forces are already using dozens of L119 howitzers sent by London last year.
On Aug. 30, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the head of BAE Systems, Charles Woodburn, and the company's management, thanking them for opening the Ukrainian office ahead of Independence Day.
"The best weapons that currently help our soldiers defend Ukraine should be produced in Ukraine. The development of own weapons production is a top priority," Zelensky said on Telegram.
At the meeting, the Ministry of Strategic Industries, the Ministry of Defense, and BAE Systems signed documents confirming the company's decision to develop arms production in Ukraine.
"BAE Systems wants to be a reliable partner of Ukraine in the war for freedom and independence, as well as in building a strong and sustainable technological defense-industrial complex to effectively prevent future aggression attempts," said Woodburn.
BAE Systems is the largest defense contractor in Europe, with its main operations based in the U.K. and the U.S. The company produces a wide variety of weapons, including M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicles, Typhoon fighter jets, Archer artillery systems, Challenger 2 tanks, M777 howitzers, and others.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Elsa Court
