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."
The Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) spokesperson Andrii Yusov at the Presentation of the First Sociological Study of the Russian Prisoners of War, at the Military Media Center, Kyiv, Ukraine, May 4, 2023. (PPhoto Credit: Kaniuka Ruslan / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Military intelligence spokesperson Andrii Yusov said in an interview with Radio NV on Sept. 20 that he cannot confirm nor deny Ukraine's role in a strike against Wagner-backed militia in Sudan.
However, he said that the incident signals decreasing Russian influence in Africa and is a consequence of Moscow's criminal activities.
"And Ukraine will punish, as we have already said, enemies and criminals all over the world," the official said.
CNN reported on Sept. 19 that according to an unnamed Ukrainian military source, a "non-Sudanese military" was responsible for a military operation against Wagner-affiliated forces in Sudan, involving drone strikes and a ground operation.
The source reportedly believed that Ukrainian special services were likely responsible for the attack.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Alexander Khrebet
