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."
The six reactors of the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant are visible across the river from Nikopol. (Photo: Francis Farrell / The Kyiv Independent)
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have not found explosives during their inspections of parts of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in recent days and weeks, Director General Rafael Grossi said on July 5.
Still, the on-site experts have requested access to other parts of the nuclear plant, including the rooftops of reactor units three and four, as well as parts of the turbine halls and the cooling system, according to the press release.
Grossi stressed the importance of IAEA experts being granted access to all parts of the nuclear plant.
“With military tension and activities increasing in the region where this major nuclear power plant is located, our experts must be able to verify the facts on the ground," Grossi said.
"Their independent and objective reporting would help clarify the current situation at the site, which is crucial at a time like this with unconfirmed allegations and counter allegations,” Grossi added.
Ukrainian officials have been warning in recent weeks that Russian forces are preparing to sabotage the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces warned on July 4 that the terrorist attack could happen "in the near future."
According to the General Staff, Russian forces placed objects similar to explosive devices on the rooftops of the plant's third and fourth reactors.
President Volodymyr Zelensky told Spanish reporters on July 1 that one possibility Ukrainian officials had prepared for was that Russian troops could return the station to Ukrainian control after having mined it and then detonate it remotely.
The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant has been under Russian occupation since March 2022. Since then, Russian forces have been using Europe's largest nuclear power plant as a military base to launch attacks against Ukrainian-controlled territory.
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Francis Farrell
