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.
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.
U.S. Department of Defense Press Secretary Gen. Patrick Ryder holds a press conference at the Pentagon on Aug. 22, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The U.S. is working hard to ship defense aid to Kyiv amid a renewed Russian push in northeastern Ukraine, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said on May 14.
Moscow's troops launched a new offensive into northeastern Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, just as heavy battles continued to rage further east.
"It's a challenging situation on the battlefield right now in Ukraine," Ryder said during a press briefing.
"But all accounts are that they (Ukraine) continue to take measures to defend their territory," Ryder said, adding that the U.S. is going to do "everything we can to get them the critical munitions and supplies that they need."
After six months of delays, the U.S. Congress approved a $61 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine in April. The Pentagon warned that it will likely take some time before its effects are felt on the battlefield.
When asked by a journalist whether the precarious situation at the front was caused by the months-long delay in U.S. aid or by a better position of Russian forces, Ryder said that it was likely a combination of several factors.
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"It was not helpful to have this pause in security assistance," the spokesperson commented.
"Clearly... you've got other partners around the world that are providing aid to Ukraine. But the Russians have exploited the situation on the battlefield and are attempting to make advances.
"Incremental as they may be, it's certainly concerning. And we're going to continue to work closely with Ukraine and our international allies and partners to get them the security assistance they need."
Ukraine's ammunition shortages, compounded by the delays in U.S. aid, contributed to the loss of a key front-line city of Avdiivka in February. Heavy fighting continues along the front, mainly in northern Kharkiv Oblast, the Donetsk Oblast town of Chasiv Yar, and elsewhere.
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.
Chris York
