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."
A general view of Saint Basils Cathedral in the Red Square on June 28, 2017, in Moscow, Russia. (Photo by Pallava Bagla/Corbis via Getty Images)
Russia's stated goals in its war against Ukraine remain unachieved despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to start peace negotiations, Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said on Feb. 25, according to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS.
"The objectives of the Special Military Operation have not yet been achieved," Miroshnik said, using the Kremlin's term for its war against Ukraine.
The objectives include Russia's failure to fully occupy Ukraine's four regions it has illegally annexed and the need to ensure Kyiv no longer "poses a threat" to Moscow.
"The constitutional territories of Russia have not been liberated," he said.
Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014, followed by Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022.
Moscow does not control all of these territories, including the regional capitals of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded Ukraine withdraw from all four oblasts as a condition for negotiations.
Miroshnik said that while military objectives remain unachieved, Russia may attempt to achieve them through future negotiations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Feb. 24 that Moscow would agree to a ceasefire only if negotiations yield a "sustainable result" that "suits" Russia.
The U.S. held direct talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18, excluding Ukraine from the meeting. The decision sparked criticism in Kyiv and Europe, with leaders concerned about being sidelined in negotiations.
Preparations are underway for a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov saying it could happen by the end of February.
Trump said on Feb. 24 that Russia's war against Ukraine could end "within weeks" and claimed Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of a potential deal.
The U.K. is reportedly preparing a plan to deploy 30,000 European troops as a post-ceasefire security guarantee.
Western intelligence officials have expressed skepticism about Moscow's willingness to negotiate in good faith. NBC News reported on Feb. 18 that Putin is not serious about a peace deal and is instead using talks to consolidate Russian territorial gains.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Andrea Januta
