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."
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks to members of the media at the Agro Voderady Agricultural Cooperative on July 8, 2024 in Slovenska Nova Ves, Slovakia. (Zuzana Gogova/Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he plans to resume "economic and standard relations" with Russia after the end of Moscow's war against Ukraine, the RTVS broadcaster reported on Oct. 3.
Much like his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, Fico has consistently criticized Western military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
"If the war ends during my term in office, I will do all I can to restore economic and standard relations with Russia," Fico told journalists.
"The European Union needs Russia, and Russia needs the European Union. Friendly relations with Ukraine will (also) be very important for us," he added.
Fico entered office in the fall of 2023 after he won the Slovak parliamentary elections on a populist, Ukraine-skeptic platform. His term is expected to conclude in 2027.
While promising that Slovakia would not provide a "single round" to Ukraine, Fico has permitted continued commercial military sales to Kyiv.
The Slovak prime minister also voiced hope that Ukraine would remain a transit country for Russian exports flowing to Europe.
While Ukraine has been a key junction for Russian gas coming to the EU, its contract with Russia's Gazprom will expire by the end of 2024, and there are no plans to extend it.
Slovakia also continues to buy Russian oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline, which also leads to Ukraine. Bratislava was one of the few capitals granted permission to continue buying Russian pipeline oil amid an EU-wide effort to move away from Russian imports.
A conflict arose between Slovakia and Hungary on one side and Ukraine on the other after Kyiv banned the transit of sanctioned Lukoil oil through its territory.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Olena Goncharova
