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.
Mike Turner, the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee, during a press conference of members of the U.S. Congress Delegation on Feb. 9, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Mike Turner, the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee, provided information to all Congress members on a "serious national security threat," CNN reported on Feb. 14.
Although Turner did not reveal the nature of the danger, two unnamed sources and a U.S. official told CNN that the threat is connected to Russia. In a letter sent to Congress members earlier on Feb. 14, Turner said it regards a "destabilizing foreign military capability."
One of the sources told the news outlet that "it is, in fact, a highly concerning and destabilizing" Russian capability "that we were recently made aware of."
House Speaker Mike Johnson sought to alleviate the worries, saying that "steady hands are at the wheel" and "there's no need for alarm."
Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the intelligence committee, also said the information is not "a cause for panic."
The announcement came just as Russia ramps up its pressure against Ukraine, while the U.S. support has all but run out due to disputes in Congress. The Senate recently passed the bill needed to restore funding for Ukraine, but Johnson said he opposes the bill and threatened not to put it for a vote in the House.
Johnson and other Republicans are under increasing pressure from former President Donald Trump, the party's most likely nominee for the 2024 presidential election, who opposes the foreign aid bill. Trump also recently raised concerns among NATO allies when he suggested he would encourage Russia to attack those members who do not meet the 2% GDP defense spending mark.
Turner provided lawmakers with certain information for a review between Feb. 14 and Feb. 16. He also appealed to the White House to declassify "all information relating to this threat."
In turn, President Joe Biden's administration voiced frustration with Turner's decision to go public with the warnings before a planned meeting between security officials and leading lawmakers on Feb. 15.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Nate Ostiller
