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 system previously sent to Ukraine by Denmark. (Photo via Denmark's Defense Ministry)
Denmark will supply Ukraine with military equipment worth 5.8 billion Danish kroner (around $830 million) in its largest aid package since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to the Danish Defense Ministry, the new package will include tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, ammunition, and anti-aircraft guns, among other things.
The assistance will be provided in portions through 2023-2025, with the largest part of the funds to be spent this year, the ministry said on Sept. 12.
Denmark’s Finance Committee has yet to authorize the aid package, added the announcement.
“With today's donation package, we are moving into a new phase. After more than a year and a half of war, we have soon emptied the Defense's stocks,” said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen.
“That is why we are now looking into more targeted joint procurement and international collaborations, which are tailored to Ukraine's needs here and now.”
Denmark is one of the three countries that has pledged to send Ukraine U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets after the joint training of Ukrainian pilots. The other two are the Netherlands and Norway.
The first batch of six F-16 jets out of 19 is expected to arrive from Denmark before the end of this year, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Aug. 20.
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.
