According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
Key developments on May 12: * Trump says 'both leaders' will be at Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul * Russia ignores May 12 ceasefire proposal, Ukraine tells allies at London meeting * 'Clock is ticking' — Germany gives Russia until midnight to implement ceasefire, threatens sanctions * EU to unveil new sanctions against Russia on
Russian President Vladimir Putin may have gotten more than he bargained for when, on May 11, he rejected calls for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire and invited Ukraine to engage in direct talks in Istanbul later this week. In what may have been a surprise for the Russian leader, Ukrainian President
"I believe both leaders are going to be there," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
The comments came after Trump urged Ukraine to agree to direct negotiations with Russia, which has invited Kyiv to peace talks in Istanbul on May 15, without first agreeing to halt military operations.
Key developments on May 11: * Zelensky ready to meet Putin in Turkey, calls for immediate ceasefire * Trump urges Ukraine, Russia to hold direct talks 'immediately' * US, European leaders resoundingly reject Russia's proposal for talks without ceasefire first * Russia launches overnight drone attack across Ukraine, damaging civilian infrastructure President Volodymyr Zelensky
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.
"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."
"If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn't know what they are saying," one Western official told NBC News. Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, called Witkoff's approach "a very bad idea."
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
The announcement follows mounting fears that the two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of engaging in another full-scale war.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
Kurt Volker said that now "there is more alignment" between Ukraine and the U.S. under the Trump Administration than at the beginning of 2025.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. took the unprecedented step of deepening cooperation with international courts of law. Washington has never been party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), and U.S. policy towards the Hague-based international tribunal has varied widely
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
U.S. special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg described the proposal as a buffer zone with both sides pulling back 15 kilometers, creating a 30-kilometer area monitored by observers from third countries.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden, breaking from the tradition of former presidents avoiding criticism of successors early in their term, said conceding Ukrainian territory could erode confidence in Washington's global role.
When pressed about whether he would invite Russia back to the group, President Donald Trump responded that "it's not good timing now," contradicting previous statements on the matter.
Trump said that Russia has grown more willing to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine following a sharp decline in oil prices.
Criticizing the White House, former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power."
Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin, arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous, but deadly, war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 5.
Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much, but it's a lot, if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5.
"It requires the continuation of contacts between Moscow and Washington, which have been launched and are now ongoing," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Julie S. Davis's arrival follows the resignation of Ambassador Bridget Brink, who had served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine since 2022.
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Trump also claimed a peace deal was "fairly close."
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