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.
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.
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 24, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on April 24, the prime minister's office announced on April 21.
The leaders will discuss the security situation, NATO, the Russia-Ukraine war, and trade, the statement read.
Norway's officials will meet the U.S. president after the Trump administration imposed a 15% tariff on goods imported into the U.S. from Norway at the beginning of April. Later, the tariff was lowered to 10% for a 90-day period.
"The U.S. is our most important ally, and in a troubled and demanding time for security policy, the close contact between our two countries is very important," Stoere said.
"Norway and the U.S. cooperate in a number of areas, and the U.S. is an important trading partner for Norway. I look forward to discussing areas where we can cooperate even more closely in the future," he added.
Norway has been one of Ukraine's most committed European backers, providing military aid, humanitarian assistance, and financial support.
The country has also played a key role in stabilizing Ukraine's energy sector and hosting Ukrainian refugees.
Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik announced on April 11 that Norway will allocate 10 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately $937 million) in 2025 to help equip and train a Ukrainian military brigade.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Carl Bildt
