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."
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov in an interview with Ukrinform, Dec. 13, 2023. (Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Russian forces attacked the village of Rohan in Kharkiv Oblast on the night of Jan. 24, injuring four residents, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported.
Three women, ages 60, 39, and 26 were wounded in the attack. The shelling also injured a 17-year-old boy, Syniehubov said.
All four victims sustained minor injuries and did not require serious medical treatment, he said.
The shelling also destroyed a house and caused fires to break out in two homes.
Kharkiv was targeted in a mass Russian missile attackon Jan. 23, along with Kyiv and Pavlohrad. The missiles struck civilian infrastructure in the city, killing 10 civilians, including an eight-year-old girl, and injuring at least 60 people.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
