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."
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on Oct. 13, 2023. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and other Russian military commentators have muted their optimism about operations near Avdiivka, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Oct. 15 report.
Facing heavy losses and stalled momentum in their attempt to encircle Avdiivka, Russian forces made no territorial gains on Oct. 15, while the Russian information space changed its tone regarding the offensive.
Putin characerized the operation as an "active defense" in an interview that aired on Russian state television.
While he also claimed in the interview that Ukraine's counteroffensive had failed, his wording points to a shift in Russian rhetoric about the Avdiivka assault. Instead of an "offensive," the operation has become an "active defense."
The ISW pointed out the contrast between Putin's framing and that of Russia's Ambassador to the U.N. Vasily Nebenzya, who said Russia was conducting "active combat operations" near Avdiivka on Oct. 13.
The ISW also reported that other Russian commentators had tempered their "initial optimism about the prospects of Russian offensive operations around Avdiivka" following military setbacks.
On Oct. 14, U.S. officials reported that the Russian onslaught in Donetsk Oblast had not made much progress.
The ISW said that while fighting remains ongoing near Avdiivka, Russian forces have made no additional gains and the pace of operations is "likely decreasing."
"Russian forces are unlikely to make significant breakthroughs or cut off Ukrainian forces in the settlement in the near term, and potential advances at scale would likely require a significant and protracted commitment of personnel and materiel," the ISW wrote.
Avdiivka has been on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine since 2014. Much of the city was destroyed following the full-scale invasion of February 2022.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Martin Fornusek
