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.
Russian symbols and memorabilia allegedly uncovered in the possession of a former Ukrainian official charged with treason. Photo published on Jan. 3, 2024. (Kyiv city prosecutor's office/Telegram)
A former Ukrainian official was detained in Kyiv on the charges of treason and inciting national hatred in collaboration with Russian intelligence services, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on Jan. 3.
The suspect previously worked at the now-defunct Coal Industry Ministry, the State Reserve Agency, and the Energy Ministry until he was dismissed as a civil servant in 2014.
Subsequently, he began presenting himself as a political expert and authored several publications praising the Kremlin's policy toward Ukraine just as Russia launched its aggression by occupying Crimea and parts of eastern regions, the SBU said.
Since then, he has been in direct contact with an officer of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) who coordinated his subversive activities against Ukraine, according to the Security Service.
Under the handler's guidance, the ex-official published biased and unreliable information about Ukraine through social networks and propaganda outlets, praising Russia's aggression and occupation of Ukrainian territory, the SBU reported.
According to the Kyiv city prosecutor's office, the man has also repeatedly visited occupied Luhansk after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. While there, "he engaged in public activities detrimental to the national interests of our state," the prosecutors said.
Searches of his premises reportedly uncovered objects with Russian symbols, a certificate of the Soviet-era Communist Party membership, and Russian medals.
The suspect was detained without bail as the investigation is ongoing.
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
