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."
Grain carriers prepare to laod cargo onto ships at Port Reni on July 21, 2022. (Photo by Sergii Kharchenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis condemned the Russian military's July 24 attacks on Ukraine's Danube ports, calling it an "escalation" in a Twitter statement.
"I strongly condemn the recent Russian attacks against the Ukrainian civilian infrastructure on the Danube, very close to Romania," Iohannis said. "This recent escalation poses serious risks to the security in the Black Sea."
On the night of July 24, Russian forces launched Shahed-136 drones at the Danube River ports of Izmail and Reni, located in Odesa Oblast. The ports are only 200 meters from the Romanian border.
The airstrikes injured several people and damaged grain storage units. Ukraine's Southern Operational Command announced that Ukrainian forces shot down three of the drones.
The drone strikes followed days of attacks against Odesa's port and grain infrastructure. Russia's military aggression coincides with its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, posing grave risks to the valuable grain corridor .
In his statement condemning the attacks, Iohannis acknowledged the threat to international food supplies. "It also affects further UA grain transit and thus the global food security," he said.
The ports of Izmail and Reni are two of the last three ports still operating in Ukraine. The Danube has been Ukraine's only viable grain export route since Russia terminated the grain deal.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Daria Shulzhenko
