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."
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden walk to the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration prepared a confidential strategy document that sees corruption in Ukraine as the real threat, allegedly warning that Western support may depend on Kyiv's anti-graft efforts, Politico reported on Oct. 2.
The document obtained by the media outlet outlines steps the U.S. is taking to help Ukraine tackle corruption and reform the country's military, financial, and education sectors, among others.
The confidential version of the "Integrated Country Strategy" contains tougher language on Ukraine's corruption issues than a shorter public document posted by the U.S. State Department about a month ago, according to Politico.
"Perceptions of high-level corruption" could "undermine the Ukrainian public's and foreign leaders' confidence in the war-time government," the "sensitive but unclassified" paper says.
An unnamed U.S. official confirmed to Politico that the White House was discussing with Kyiv possibly conditioning future economic assistance on "reforms to tackle corruption and make Ukraine a more attractive place for private investment."
However, such conditions are not being considered for defense aid needed to help Ukraine repel Russian military aggression, the official said.
The "Integrated Country Strategy" describes U.S. goals in helping Ukraine develop domestic weapons production, adopt NATO military standards, prosecute war crimes in its own judicial system, and increase the nation's English language proficiency.
The document also calls for the deoligarchization of Ukraine's energy and mining sectors, privatization of banks, and extension of the U.S. diplomatic presence in the country.
A State Department official refused to tell Politico if the U.S. government had shared the confidential version of the strategy with Ukrainian officials.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Dinara Khalilova
