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."
Kaspersky is displayed on a screen in Moscow, Russia on June 16, 2023. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Biden administration will soon announce a ban on Kaspersky antivirus software due to its alleged ties to the Russian government, Reuters reported on June 20, citing a source.
Reuters cited "a person familiar with the matter," who said that Kaspersky's "close ties to the Russian government" pose a critical risk.
The ban will reportedly cover downloads of software updates, resales, and product licensing and will come into force in September.
"The software's privileged access to a computer's systems could allow it to steal sensitive information from American computers, install malware, or withhold critical updates," according to Reuters.
Kaspersky is used by state and local governments in the U.S., as well as providers of critical infrastructure, Reuters said.
The company's CEO, Eugene Kaspersky, was educated at a KGB (Committee for State Security) technical college and went on to work for Russia's military intelligence. The company has repeatedly denied allegations of ties to the Russian government.
Kaspersky describes itself as "the world's largest privately held vendor of internet security solutions for businesses and consumers."
The Biden administration will also add the company to a trade restriction list, "dealing a blow to the firm's reputation that could hammer its overseas sales," Reuters said.
The news comes one week after the U.S. State and Treasury departments issued what they called a "sweeping" set of sanctions against Russia and its financial backers.
More than 300 new sanctions were announced, targeting a range of entities and sectors from Russian natural resources to Russian banks that have relocated abroad.
Nate Ostiller
