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.
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Monday, May 12
(Updated: )
"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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.
The number includes 1,170 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
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."
Monday, May 12
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.
"We cannot allow NATO's military infrastructure to get that close to our borders," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
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.
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Media: Austria wants to join European air defense initiative over Russian threat
• 1 min read
Austria wishes to join the European Sky Shield Initiative to protect against Russian wayward drones and missiles, Euractiv wrote on July 3.
The move has sparked discussions on the country's long-standing military neutrality, the outlet added.
The Germany-spearheaded air defense initiative was launched in October 2022 and encompasses 17 European NATO countries. It was established in reaction to massive Russian air strikes against Ukraine.
Russian missile strikes have been known to impact NATO territory. Possible remnants of a Russian Kh-55 cruise missile were found in Poland in April 2023. Fragments of what appeared to be a Ukrainian air defense missile, fired against a Russian projectile, killed two Polish civilians near the border in November 2022.
Vienna's move prompted criticism from the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) on accounts that it violates the country's long-standing neutrality policy. Unlike the other members of the Sky Shield initiative, Austria is not a NATO member.
Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg rebutted the criticism, saying that Sky Shield is not a NATO initiative and that Austria will merely pool and share its resources while sticking to its neutrality.
Austria is among the "neutral" bloc of countries opposing the EU's long-term security guarantees for Ukraine and has refused to provide lethal aid to the besieged country. Vienna has, however, provided humanitarian assistance and non-lethal military aid.
Austria, Hungary agree not to supply weapons to Ukraine
Austria and Hungary have agreed not to send military assistance to Ukraine, Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and her Hungarian counterpart Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said at a meeting in Budapest on Jan. 30, cited by Euractiv.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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