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 photo of a man suspected of attempting to aid Russian attacks, shared by the Security Service of Ukraine on Nov. 13, 2023. (Security Service of Ukraine)
Two people suspected of attempting to aid Russian attacks on Kyiv and Cherkasy have been detained, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) reported on Nov. 13.
The man and the woman allegedly took photographs of the damage caused by attacks and tried to find out the coordinates of Ukrainian air defense systems, "including Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems."
The SBU reported that after a strike on Cherkasy on Sept. 21, the woman took photos of a building in the city center that was damaged in the attack.
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She then sent these photos "to her accomplice, a citizen of the Russian Federation who lives in Kyiv," the SBU said.
The man then tried to leave Ukraine, with the plan of entering Russia via the EU, but was detained before he could leave the country.
He worked in higher education and went to Russian-occupied Crimea in 2015 to receive a Russian passport, according to the SBU.
The suspect began to monitor military bases in Kyiv after the full-scale invasion and involved the woman, an acquaintance from Cherkasy.
Evidence was found on their mobile phones, while the search of the man's home also revealed souvenirs from Russia, such a Russian flag magnet and a t-shirt with Putin's face, the SBU said.
The investigation is ongoing. If convicted, the two could face up to eight years in prison for the crimes of disseminating information about military units and justifying or denying Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.
The SBU detained a woman in Odesa Oblast on Nov. 10 for a similar crime.
She is suspected of passing on information to Russia about Ukrainian grain logistics centers on the Black Sea coast, as well as on military targets.
Martin Fornusek
