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.
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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on the sidelines of the Davos forum on Jan. 16, 2024. (President Volodymyr Zelensky/X)
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda on the sidelines of the Davos forum on Jan. 16, Zelensky wrote on the social media platform X.
Just as the two leaders met to discuss bilateral relations, Polish truckers unblocked the last crossing point at the Ukraine border the same day. Zelensky and Duda last met at the UN General Assembly in September 2023, when tensions over Ukrainian grain exports were gaining momentum.
“We discussed the battlefield situation and further defense assistance for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.
The presidents also talked about cooperation on Ukraine's path to the EU and “coordinated positions” ahead of the NATO summit in Washington.
According to Duda, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will visit Kyiv in a few days, making it his first visit to Ukraine since he became the leader of the Polish government in December.
Duda said earlier that Russia's war against Ukraine would be one of the main topics of the World Economic Forum in Davos, saying that Ukraine's peace formula could be the basis for victory.
A 10-point peace plan includes the restoration of the country's territorial integrity, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and holding those responsible for war crimes accountable.
Zelensky held a series of talks as part of his trip to Switzerland, including with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Alexander Khrebet
