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.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after their meeting in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, on April 24, 2023. (Photo: Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images)
Discussions on bilateral security commitments to Ukraine may "blur" the talks on the country's NATO membership, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told the Financial Times on July 5.
Instead, Kallas called for "practical, concrete steps" for Ukraine on its path to Alliance membership.
NATO members remain divided on the issue of Ukraine's accession ahead of the July summit in Vilnius.
Some Allies, mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, call for a clear proposal to be presented to Kyiv at the meeting, even including a simplified accession process, while others prefer long-term security guarantees that would deter future Russian aggression, short of a clear invitation.
France indicated it is ready to provide such guarantees, comparing it to an "Israeli-style" security agreement. At a June 29 summit in Brussels, the EU leaders made a pledge to long-term security commitments to Ukraine.
These guarantees mainly translate to commitments to future weapons shipments, financial aid, and training programs.
According to Kallas, this is simply a continuation of what the Allies are already doing, and it does not give Ukraine any additional guarantees.
"The war will not be there when the deterrence is credible," the prime minister said.
Kallas said in the interview that some countries avoid certain steps due to fears of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Estonia's head of government called for the partners not to be intimidated by Moscow's terrorism threats.
Ukraine applied to join NATO in September 2022. While acknowledging the country cannot enter the Alliance before the end of the war, Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly called for a "clear signal" on the membership from the Allies during the upcoming summit.
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.
Martin Fornusek
