"We are headed for a summit in six weeks in which virtually every member of NATO will be at or above 2%, but more importantly, many of them will be over 4% and all will have agreed on a goal of reaching 5% over the next decade," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Presidential Office Chief Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with French, German, U.K., and the U.S. officials in Istanbul on May 16, Suspilne reported, citing sources in the Ukrainian delegation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Albania on May 16 to attend the summit of the European Political Community, presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov said, according to the state news channel Freedom TV.
A fire broke out at an ammunition depot in the village of Perevalne in Russian-occupied Crimea following a series of explosions during a drone attack on the morning of May 16, the Crimean Wind Telegram channel reported, citing local residents.
Istanbul — it’s where Asia meets Europe, but as we now know, not where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Not the first time the Russian Foreign Ministry becomes a laughing stock," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said after his Russian counterpart, Maria Zakharova, called Zelensky a "clown."
Among those arriving in Turkey with Ukraine's president are Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Chief Vasyl Malyuk, and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov.
"We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own," Zelensky said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not visit Istanbul for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 15, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
When asked by the Kyiv Independent, a source close to the Presidential Office did not confirm whether Ukraine would still hold the talks if Putin does not join.
Ukrainian forces downed 62 out of the 100 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
"I think there is this window of opportunity this week, but also in the next 10 days, two weeks, to really bring the whole issue of Ukraine to a better place," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
Alongside Russia launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has also ramped up its hybrid attacks across Europe. In 2024 alone, Russia could be behind around 100 "suspicious incidents" in Europe, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky claimed. Last month, the Dutch intelligence said that Moscow keeps stepping up its attacks
President Volodymyr Zelensky's willingness to hold direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week in Istanbul sparked a question over whether such a move contradicts his earlier decree. In the fall of 2022, Zelensky signed a decree that "stated the impossibility of holding negotiations with Russian President Putin," as
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) may have gained access to the phone data of activist Vitaliy Shabunin's wife following a court ruling — a development that the head of the Anti-Corruption Action Center's executive board sees as yet another sign of pressure aimed at curtailing his work. Days after the
When a Russian drone strike set a high-rise across the street on fire just after midnight on May 4, 34-year-old veteran Petro Kryvoruka shook his wife, Halyna, awake in their Kyiv apartment. As the buzzing of drones continued, he braced for another explosion. "I told (my wife), ‘Something is coming,
According to the SBU, the attack on Serhii Sternenko was an attempted assassination involving a firearm. His life is not in danger.
During the examination in Ukraine, it turned out that journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna's brain, eyes, and part of the trachea had been removed, the investigation said.
Russia's Interior Ministry drafted a bill on granting asylum to foreigners unable to uphold so-called "traditional family values" in their home countries, the Russian state-controlled RBC news agency reported on April 29, citing the document and an undisclosed source.
The government approved the appointments of three deputy defense ministers to ensure "greater efficiency and agility" in the ministry's work and boost ties with foreign partners, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on April 29.
"I think it must be clear for everybody... especially for (Russian President) Vladimir Putin, that we will stand with Ukraine. We will support Ukraine and... offer Ukraine the opportunity to be on level with Russia," German Foreign Minister-designate Johann Wadephul said.
According to Russia's Defense Ministry, Russian air defense shot down 91 Ukrainian drones, including eight over Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and 11 over Ryazan Oblast. Drones were also downed in Kursk, Oryol, Moscow, Belgorod, Kaluga, Bryansk oblast and in Russian-occupied Crimea, the ministry reported.
"Over the years of war and Russian attacks on our energy system, Ukraine has gained significant experience in overcoming any energy challenges, including blackouts," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has once again sent ripples of concern around Ukraine, this time by saying he "thinks" President Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to give up occupied Crimea as part of a peace deal to end Russia's full-scale invasion. Trump's comments, if taken at face value, suggest Zelensky
The pilot ejected and is receiving medical attention, according to Ukraine's Air Force. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
Moscow is waiting for a signal from Kyiv to resume bilateral peace negotiations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 28, even as Russia continues its regular attacks on Ukraine.
"Negotiating with the war criminal Putin is evidently futile," a statement signed by officials from eight countries said.
“According to available data, the explosion occurred as a result of the detonation of a homemade explosive device,” the Investigative Committee of Russia said.
Ukrainian forces downed 41 out of the 103 Shahed-type drones and other drones, launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
"It’s got to be a ceasefire that is on terms that all parties can accept, including Ukraine," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
A five-story building in Pavlohrad came under attack and several fires were reported in the city.
"It's not fair. But for peace, temporary peace, maybe it can be a solution," Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
