"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
News Feed
Sunday, May 11
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.
Preliminary findings suggest that one of the men killed the other before taking his own life.
Western leaders dismissed the Kremlin's proposal for talks in Istanbul on May 15 as insufficient.
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 pope said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace."
Ushakov’s comments follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 11 invitation for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15.
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.
Zelensky called a ceasefire the essential first step toward ending the war.
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"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."
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on May 11.
This post is part of Live Updates. Read our coverage here
News FeedDutch PM: Russia is 'nothing compared to the collective EU economy'
• 2 min read
The EU's collective economic power is by far superior to Russia, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 17 in an interview on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, adding that European nations must invest more in defense and support for Ukraine.
"It always takes time in a democracy to take those decisions," Rutte told a Kyiv Independent reporter, responding to a question whether there are regrets that allies did not provide key defense systems before Russia had a chance to dig in on the front line and mobilize its economy.
As the full-scale Russian invasion nears its two-year mark, Ukraine finds itself in a precarious position. While the assistance from the U.S., a key military donor, remains blocked, Russia is increasing pressure on the front and ramping up its defense industry capacities.
Rutte noted that Russia's economic potential should not be overestimated: "Russia's economy is not more than the Netherlands and Belgium combined. Nothing compared to Germany, nothing compared to France, nothing compared to the collective EU economy."
Nevertheless, the allies must respond to recent developments in the war "and that means more spending on defense, more production of military capabilities," the prime minister added.
While the relatively small Netherlands took a proactive role in supporting Ukraine, for example, by spearheading the fighter jet coalition, major players like Germany came under criticism for hesitancy in providing some crucial systems, namely long-range Taurus missiles.
Rutte pointed out that Germany is providing massive aid to Ukraine, especially in comparison to other partners. This support also maintains the flow of air defenses and artillery shells to Ukraine, Rutte said, pointing out there is no controversy on supplying these two vital items.
The prime minister also hinted that "things are moving" in regard to other military systems.
Rutte further told the Kyiv Independent that the Netherlands is intensively discussing bilateral security guarantees with President Volodymyr Zelensky's team, voicing optimism that the "discussions should be closed fairly soon."
Kyiv had already finalized similar deals, based on G7 commitments made last July, with Germany, France, and the U.K.
Zelensky in Munich: ‘If Ukraine left alone, Russia will destroy us’
“Keeping Ukraine in the artificial deficits of weapons, particularly in a deficit of artillery and long-range capabilities, allows (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to adapt to the current intensity of the war,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Nate Ostiller
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