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."
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for "concrete proposals from both sides" in order for Washington to "move forward" in peace negotiations.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba attends the 2024 Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17, 2024, in Munich, Germany. (Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
Ukrainian soldiers are expected to receive the first ammunition purchased by allied countries under the Czech-led initiative "in the foreseeable future," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on March 13.
Czech President Petr Pavel said in February that Prague had identified 500,000 155 mm shells and 300,000 122 mm shells outside Europe that could be bought and sent to Ukraine after the necessary funds were allocated to the initiative.
The fulfillment of the initiative is designed for a year, but the earliest shell deliveries to the front line "will not take many months," Kuleba said at a conference with his Moldovan counterpart Mihai Popsoi in Kyiv.
Tomas Pojar,a Czech national security adviser, said that purchased ammunition could be sent to Ukraine as early as June, Euractiv reported.
"We will contact our Czech colleagues this week to present the supply plan in detail and how it will work. We are ready for full cooperation and assistance," Kuleba said.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on March 12 that the initiative, joined by 18 countries, received "non-binding commitments" for a further 200,000 rounds, in addition to the confirmed purchase of 300,000 shells.
Artillery shells are a crucial capability for Ukraine as the country faces critical ammunition shortages. Delays in U.S. military assistance have already had a direct impact on the battlefield, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka.
Oleksandr Tartachnyi
