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."
Albin Kurti, Kosovo's prime minister, during an interview at his office in Pristina, Kosovo, on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. (Ben Kilb/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kosovo has joined the Group of Seven's (G7) declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine, reported Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
"Ensuring victory for Ukraine — and holding Russia's leaders accountable for their crimes — is essential to the preservation of peace and democracy," Kurti tweeted. "Kosova stands ready to contribute to these efforts."
Kosovo has become the 20th country to join the declaration, presented at the July NATO summit in Vilnius. Among the latest to commit were the Baltic states, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, and Greece.
The security guarantees are meant to be explicit and long-lasting obligations aimed at bolstering Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression. They will also address sanctions, financial aid, and post-war reconstruction.
Announcing the decision, Kosovan PM published a statement in support of Ukraine, condemning Russia's full-scale invasion.
"The effects of the conflict have also rippled far beyond Ukraine's borders. In an effort to distract attention from its illegal war, Russia is attempting to destabilize the Western Balkans, with the help of its main autocratic allies in the region," reads the statement.
According to Kurti, since Russia started its all-out war against Ukraine last February, Kosovo has joined U.S. and EU sanctions regime, offered to host up to 5,000 refugees from Ukraine, and "welcomed 18 Ukrainian journalists offering them a safe space to continue their mission of speaking truth to power."
Ukraine hasn't recognized Kosovo, which has an ethnic Albanian majority, as an independent state after it broke away from Serbia following a war in 1998-99. The U.S. and most EU member states have recognized Kosovo's independence, which was officially declared in 2008.
Richard Cashman
