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."
Russian Foreign Minstry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova attends an annual news conference in Russia on Jan. 14, 2022. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russia is ready to expel German journalists in retaliation for any measures taken against Russian journalists in Germany, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed on March 5, according to state-owned media agency RIA Novosti.
Tensions between Germany and Russia have risen in recent days following the leak of a conversation between German military officers on March 1.
The recording of the conversation, during which the delivery of Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian troops were discussed, was published by Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of Kremlin-controlled TV channel RT.
"If they touch Russian correspondents," German journalists will be removed from Russia, and the German government knows "about this through diplomatic channels in Berlin," Zakharova claimed.
According to media reports, Germany's Air Force Chief Ingo Gerhartz was among the participants of the conversation, which was alleged to be a preparation for a briefing with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
The publication of the leaked conversation was a "hybrid disinformation attack," Pistorius said. "It's about division."
Calling it "a very serious matter," Scholz vowed that the situation was to be "clarified very carefully, very intensively, and very quickly."
The Russian Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned German Ambassador to Russia Alexander Lambsdorf on March 4 in relation to the leak.
Nate Ostiller
