Moscow and Hanoi have agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
The sanctions appear to be in response to Russia's rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that the U.K., alongside Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland, demanded during a visit to Kyiv on May 10.
"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."
The publications' latest report covers the period of February 24, 2022 to May 8, 2025. Since it was last updated at the end of April, 2,857 additional Russian military personnel have been confirmed killed.
Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
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.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba speaks during a press conference on Oct. 2, 2023, in Kyiv. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on X on March 16 that he held a telephone call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the potential unblocking of aid for Ukraine that has been stuck in the U.S. Congress since autumn 2023.
A foreign aid bill that includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine has been stalled for months due to divisions in Congress, namely objections from the Republican Party.
The U.S. Senate approved the overall $95 billion funding package, including aid for Ukraine, as well as funds for Israel and other allies, on Feb. 13, but it still faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to put the legislation to a vote in his chamber, considering alternative options, including passing a future Ukraine aid bill with Democratic votes and splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into two separate bills.
Kuleba also thanked Blinken for the latest U.S. military aid package worth $300 million, including a large number of artillery rounds and GMLRS rockets for HIMARS launchers. This is the first U.S. package since December, when the U.S. provided Ukraine with military assistance worth $250 million.
Kuleba also urged the U.S. to continue its support, stressing Ukraine's critical need for air defense and artillery ammunition.
"We cannot allow Russia to use delays in aid to advance, putting all of Europe and the democratic world at risk of an even larger war," Kuleba said.
"Failure to continue supporting Ukraine would severely undermine the U.S. leadership all across the world and jeopardize American national security," the foreign minister added.
Blinken also highlighted the need for the House of Representatives to "swiftly pass" the supplemental security package in a statementreleased by the U.S. State Department.
"The Secretary once again underscored the United States' enduring support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity as its people fight to secure their democratic future in the face of Russia's brutal war of aggression," the readout said.
As $60 billion in funding from the U.S. for Ukraine remains stalled, Kyiv faces critical ammunition shortages.
In February, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Avdiivka, a key front-line city in Donetsk Oblast, and several nearby villagesamid the shortages of weaponry, while Russian troops continued to intensify their attacks, advancing in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Igor Kossov
