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"Hopefully it will be a productive day, a ceasefire will take place, and this very violent war — a war that should have never happened — will end. God bless us all!!!" U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The planned exchange follows an agreement reached between Ukrainian and Russian delegations during talks in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.

Editor’s note: Due to the security protocols of the unit featured in this story, the Ukrainian soldiers are identified by first name only. Russia’s air strikes on Ukraine have become far more deadly in recent months. Part of the uptick is due to limited air defense to bring

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reportedly welcomed what he described as a “constructive” role by Washington in encouraging Kyiv to accept President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to resume peace talks in Istanbul.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany and its allies are responding to hybrid threats in the Baltic region with increased patrols and renewed pressure on Russia's covert shipping operations.

The so-called Supreme Court of the Russian-controlled Luhansk Oblast found Jenkins guilty under Russian criminal law for participating in armed conflict as a mercenary.

A major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia involving around 1,000 POWs from each side is expected to take place next week, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on air on May 17, following an agreement reached in Istanbul.

According to the decree, all adult "citizens" of Abkhazia and South Ossetia who held that status as of Aug. 26, 2008, the day Russia recognized the territories as "independent," are now eligible to apply for Russian citizenship through an expedited process.

Russian forces launched a massive drone assault across Ukraine overnight, using 62 drones including Shahed-type attack UAVs and decoy drones from Russia and occupied Crimea.

"For Russia, the most important and principal matter when signing documents between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations is the identity of the person authorized to sign on behalf of Ukraine," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Russia launched a drone strike on Sumy Oblast in the early morning of May 17, killing nine people and injuring four more. The drone targeted a shuttle bus that was transporting civilians near the city of Bilopillia at 6:17 a.m. local time.

The depot, located near a key highway between Simferopol and Alushta, reportedly housed military equipment, ammunition, and fuel storage facilities. Local residents reportedly described thick smoke over the military compound.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the cyberattacks hit the website of his Civic Platform party, as well as those of its coalition partners, the Left and the Polish People’s Party (PSL).

The number includes 910 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.

Russia's economy is experiencing a sharp slowdown in growth, according to a report released by the governmental statistics agency Rosstat on May 16. GDP only grew by 1.4% in the first quarter of 2025 – a notable decline from 4.5% growth in the previous quarter and 5.4% in the same period last year.

"Honestly, I will (impose sanctions), if we're not gonna make a deal," Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier in an interview published on May 16. "This would be crushing for Russia because they're having a hard time now with the economy."

European officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they remain unsure of U.S. President Donald Trump's next move and fear that his unpredictable stance could undercut momentum toward a unified Western response.

"It’s more than 30 years of U.S. desire (to reduce troops in Europe), President Trump just said, enough, this is going to happen and it’s going to happen now," U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said.

Key developments on May 16: * Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul end, Moscow demands Kyiv withdraw from 4 regions, no ceasefire agreement * Up to 640,000 Russian troops fighting against Ukraine, Syrskyi says * Ukraine 'lost contact' with F-16 during combat, pilot ejected, Air Force says * Putin appoints general who led Mariupol assault

Editor's note: This opinion first appeared in German in Süddeutsche Zeitung. Russia’s President — a wanted war criminal — Vladimir Putin failed to show up in Istanbul for the “direct talks” with Ukraine that he himself proposed. For the Kremlin to wage an unprovoked war of conquest, reject a ceasefire, and

"In Putin’s eyes, all the leaders of the Western world are weaklings and suckers," Ukrainian infantryman "Mamai," told the Kyiv Independent.

As sanctions against Syria ease, the new leadership is seeking deeper ties with Arab and Western countries, ending its reliance on Moscow.

The first direct peace talks in years between Kyiv and Moscow ended on May 16 with Russia once again rejecting an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. In turn, Russia demanded that Ukrainian troops leave four of the country's regions, which Moscow partly controls. Such a demand is a non-starter for Ukraine. Ukrainian

Some of Russia's demands include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from their own territory as a condition for a ceasefire, an unnamed Ukrainian source told Sky News.

Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Commission is preparing a new sanctions package, which would include sanctions on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, additional listings of vessels from Russia's shadow fleet, a lower oil price cap, and sanctions on Russia's financial sector.

Despite an invitation from President Volodymyr Zelensky to meet face to face in Istanbul, President Vladimir Putin was a no-show in Turkey, sending instead an aide, Vladimir Medinsky, to head the Russian delegation in peace talks. Medinsky headed the last and only other direct talks between the two sides in

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in neutral Switzerland, but politics are center stage. While debate continues over Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza, Russia — banned from the contest since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — continues to cast a shadow over the event. This year,

Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, who held the role since 2022, accused the Trump administration of prioritizing pressure on Ukraine, the victim of Russia's full-scale invasion, rather than confronting the Kremlin.

The Kyiv Independent's Francis Farrell and Olena Zashko spent a day with one of Ukraine's most effective drone units, "Peaky Blinders." As Russian forces continue to push across the front line, Peaky Blinders are tasked with stopping Russian assaults near the embattled city of Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast.

The conversation took place shortly after the conclusion of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul, which ended with little progress beyond an agreement on prisoner exchange.

"Parties have agreed in principle to come together again," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said.