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."
President Volodymyr Zelensky with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, on April 24, 2023. (President's Office)
A Russian defeat in its full-scale war on Ukraine will help prevent World War III, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said in Brussels on March 20.
Estonia has been one of the leading military donors to Ukraine in terms of share of GDP since the beginning of the all-out war in 2022. Kallas and other Estonian politicians have also been particularly outspoken about the threat that Russia poses to Europe.
"(If) Russia (were to) lose this war, then we don't have to worry about the Third World War," Kallas said, adding that she does not seek active conflict with Russia.
"We want to have peace, but we want to have sustainable peace, and peace on Russia's terms is not sustainable."
Echoing warnings from leaders in Ukraine and in the EU, Kallas said that "if Ukraine falls, (war is) going to be all over Europe."
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced the country's latest package of military assistance, worth 20 million euros ($22 million), during a visit to Kyiv on March 21.
While Kallas said she has been willing to make tough political decisions to maintain Estonia's support for Ukraine, such as raising taxes, others in Europe have not followed suit.
"In some countries, I don't see the deed, I only hear the words," she said, adding that she had expected an increase in defense spending following the beginning of Russia's full-scale war on Ukraine.
"The problem is that we are in crisis now. We need to invest in defense now," Kallas said.
When asked about the ongoing debate swirling around French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion in February that the notion of sending Western troops to Ukraine should not be "ruled out," Kallas said she supported Macron's usage of "strategic ambiguity."
"We have been guessing for so long what Russia is going to do next. I think it could be a good strategy that they will guess what we will do next."
