After an unprecedented three-day wave of Russian aerial attacks in Ukraine over the weekend, the world is once again looking to U.S. President Donald Trump to take his first steps toward forcing Moscow to end its violence. From May 24 to 26, Russian forces fired more than 600 drones
Key developments on May 27: * Trump admits to protecting Russia from 'really bad things' during Ukraine peace talks * Russia builds power lines to connect occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to its grid, NYT reports * US blocks G7 push to tighten Russian oil price cap, Financial Times reports * Decision on lifting range
Trump's comments come amid growing pressure on the U.S. administration to respond to escalating Russian attacks.
Despite months of resisting President Donald Trump's peace process, the U.S. has yet to take a single concrete step to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into ending his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"This is a very crucial moment, which is associated, of course, with the emotional overload of everyone absolutely and with emotional reactions," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about Trump calling Putin "absolutely crazy."
"I think President Trump realizes that when President Putin told him he was ready for peace, he lied to him," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
"We are looking at how we can get a place in the program for Zelensky and other Ukrainians," Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said during an appearance on the Dutch television program WNL op Zondag.
"I’ve always gotten along with him," Trump said of Putin to reporters at an airport in New Jersey on May 25. "But he’s sending rockets into cities and killing people, and I don’t like it at all."
Key developments on May 24-25: * Ukraine brings home 303 POWs in final phase of biggest prisoner swap with Russia * Russian missile, drone attack kills 12, injures 79 * US silence 'encourages Putin', Zelensky says after massive Russian attack * Russia losing battlefield edge in war against Ukraine, WP reports * Russia will reveal
In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur shares key takeaways from Monday’s phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Wednesday’s assassination of a controversial Ukrainian ex-official. Also, Russia is advancing in Sumy Oblast.
The planned exchange, involving 1,000 detainees from each side, follows an agreement reached between Ukrainian and Russian delegations during talks in Istanbul on May 16, 2025.
Russia is now saying the quiet part out loud. It has no intention of stopping the war in Ukraine. We in Ukraine knew this all along, of course, but to sate the demands of international diplomacy, Moscow and Washington have engaged in a now more than two-month-long peace process that
* Mass Ukrainian drone strike targets Moscow, Russia claims, multiple airports closed * 9 Ukrainian children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, President's Office says * Trump tells European leaders Putin doesn’t want peace because he believes Russia winning war in Ukraine, WSJ reports * Kyiv proposes EU partners help directly fund Ukrainian military under
The Kyiv Independent’s Asami Terajima sits down with Estonian ambassador to Ukraine Annely Kolk to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and why there’s little trust in Russia honoring any ceasefire agreements.
U.S. Donald Trump's reported statement marked the first time he acknowledged to European leaders the thing they and Kyiv have long maintained — the Kremlin has no intention of ending its full-scale war against Ukraine.
"We are trying to settle Russia-Ukraine," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters. "I spoke with President Putin for two hours the day before yesterday. I think we made a lot of progress. But that's a bloodbath."
With the fading U.S. global leadership under Donald Trump, Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, and growing populism at home, Europe faces a stark choice: step up or fall into irrelevance. Speaking with the Kyiv Independent on May 16, British historian Timothy Garton Ash paints a picture of a West in transition.
Speaking to the New York Times on the condition of anonymity, a White House official familiar with the call, said that imposing sanctions could impede Trump's goal of "maximizing economic opportunities for Americans," the publication wrote.
The European Union is preparing to provide Radio Free Europe with a contract valued at 5.5 million euros ($6.2 million) in "emergency funding" to support the ongoing work of the media organization amid the Trump administration's funding cuts.
Key developments on May 20: * 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' — Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call * EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet * Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine * Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from
After a two-hour call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia reiterated its refusal for a full ceasefire in the war in Ukraine while the U.S. once again failed to respond with any significant pressure. For observers across Europe, watching the way the negotiations
In what is now a semi-regular occurrence, the workings of U.S.-led global diplomacy has cast a dark shadow over Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 19 in the latest attempt to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. The call came
Ukraine and the U.S. launched initial talks on a free trade zone back in 2021.
During Joe Biden's presidency, Ukrainians and Haitians were granted temporary protection, allowing them to stay in the U.S. if they could not return to their home country.
Donald Trump told the leaders that Vladimir Putin agreed to start direct negotiations on a ceasefire immediately, which led to a few seconds of "puzzled silence," Axios reported.
"Clear and realistic proposals must be on the table. Ukraine is ready for any effective negotiation format. And if Russia continues to put forward unrealistic conditions and undermine possible results, there must be harsh consequences," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Over 60% of Americans believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is "stalling" peace talks involving the United States, and back weaponry shipments to Ukraine and additional sanctions if Russia refuses to negotiate a peace deal, according to a Harvard CAPS Harris poll released on May 19.
"I tell you, big egos involved, but I think something's going to happen. And if it doesn't, I just back away, and they're going to have to keep going," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
“Because I think there’s a chance of getting something done, and if you do that, you could also make it much worse," Trump told reporters from the Oval Office on May 19.
U.S. President Donald Trump, in separate statements, told reporters on May 19 that he trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin, will not sanction Russia, but will abandon Ukraine peace efforts if progress is not made.
Key developments on May 19: * After call with Trump, Putin still refuses full ceasefire, again cites Russia's 'root causes' of war in Ukraine * Zelensky dismisses Putin's demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian regions * Commander of Ukraine's 59th Brigade replaced, media reports * Ukrainian drones destroy Russian radar, supply depots on
"For Trump, the most important thing is direct talks between Ukraine and Russia," President Volodymyr Zelensky said, adding that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Russian President Vladimir Putin's adviser, Vladimir Medinsky, held a call on May 19 and discussed a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange.
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