Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak voiced doubt about leading negotiations with anyone from Russia except President Vladimir Putin, saying only he can take real decisions.
This includes at least seven people injured in drone attacks overnight on May 12, a date from which Kyiv and its allies put forward a demand for a 30-day unconditional truce, a step that Moscow continues to reject.
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow and Hanoi 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.
"Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World," co-produced with Message Heard, and co-produced by Anastasiia Lapatina and Jakub Parusinski, was nominated for the "Impact Award" category. (Audio & Radio Industry Awards)
The podcast "Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World," co-produced with Message Heard, and co-hosted by the Kyiv Independent's Anastasiia Lapatina and Jakub Parusinski, was nominated on March 30 by U.K.'s Radio Academy for the Audio and Radio Industry Awards (ARIAS).
The ARIAS are reportedly considered the "Oscars of UK radio and audio," according to the academy's website.
"Power Lines: From Ukraine to the World" is a series of podcasts launched on Sept. 22 last year to cover in-depth issues Ukraine is facing while fighting for its survival against Russia's full-scale invasion.
Kyiv Independent's reporter Anastasiia Lapatina was featured among Teen Vogue's annual 21 Under 21 list of changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who have made a substantial impact in their communities and the world.
Anastasiia Lapatina is a national reporter at the Kyiv Independent.
She previously worked in the same role at the Kyiv Post, Ukraine’s oldest and largest English-language publication, and has focused on politics and human rights, publishing stories about Crimea, Donbas, and Ukrainians in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Gaza.
Jakub Parusinski is the Chief Financial Officer of the Kyiv Independent.
He holds an MBA from INSEAD and spent 3 years at McKinsey’s London office, managing the EMEA hub for Advanced Analytics. He also works as a media consultant and lecturer on media business at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Anastasiia Lapatina
