The Russian president made no mention of an immediate and unconditional ceasefire — the key demand pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump and accepted by Ukraine back in March.
Editor’s note: In accordance with newsroom policy on reporting on children and the policies of organizations interviewed, the Kyiv Independent is not using the names of children under 18 or the last names of their parents who appear in this story. When the children arrive at a basement shelter
The call comes days after largely inconclusive negotiations in Istanbul, where Russia sent a delegation of low-level officials and reiterated sweeping territorial demands, including that Ukraine accept the loss of Crimea and four eastern regions.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Ukraine's delegation in Turkey, briefed President Volodymyr Zelensky on the Istanbul talks.
Washington's participation in a potential sanctions package would be "very central," German government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius said.
In October of last year, just days before the U.S. presidential election, Head of the McCain Institute Evelyn Farkas told the Kyiv Independent that a Donald Trump victory would be the "worst-case scenario" for Ukraine. In the months since, a victorious Trump has taken office, dismantled the global post-World
"We are deeply grateful for Romania’s contribution to protecting the lives of our people. It is important that support for Ukraine continues," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Russia's war against Ukraine is waged not only with missiles and tanks, but with distorted myths — powerful narratives that romanticize empire, rewrite history, and embolden Russian soldiers to reduce once prosperous cities to rubble. Those very same myths surfaced at the Photo London Festival from May 15 to 18, where
According to an official statement, Polish officers stopped a Mazda car for inspection and discovered the 36-year-old woman behind the wheel, along with five Afghan nationals in the vehicle.
Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Shevchuk was dismissed as the commander of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces and replaced by Colonel Oleksandr Sak, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing its sources in the brigade.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the conversation between the two leaders is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time and will "reflect the outcomes of last week’s negotiations in Istanbul" between Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
Under the agreement, Finland will provide 90 million euros (approximately $100 million) worth of heavy ammunition procured from domestic suppliers.
Ukrainian air defenses shot down 41 of the 112 Russian attack drones and other drones launched overnight, the Air Force said. Thirty-five drones were neutralized by electronic warfare systems, according to the statement.
An aerial drone first struck one of the platforms, followed by a naval drone that delivered a secondary hit.
Despite private protests, Washington eventually gave permission for Australia to begin shipping out the U.S.-made tanks to Ukraine, ABC reported.
The number includes 1,040 casualties Russian forces suffered just over the past day.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met in Rome on May 18 to discuss defense support for Ukraine, cooperation within the Coalition of the Willing, and increased pressure on Russia.
Ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s upcoming conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, European leaders also discussed the potential for additional sanctions should Russia fail to engage constructively in ceasefire negotiations.
In an anxiously watched race, Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan won the presidency against the far-right candidate George Simion, who is banned from entering both Ukraine and Moldova due to his extremist views.
The package includes additional artillery and shells via the Czech ammunition initiative as well as equipment for fighter jets and funds for expanded training, the Danish Defense Ministry announced.
Key developments on May 17-18: * Russia launches record 273-drone attack on Ukraine ahead of planned Trump-Putin call * Trump to talk to Putin on May 19 in push to end Ukraine war 'bloodbath' * Russia plans 'training' launch of Yars intercontinental ballistic missile overnight on May 19, Ukraine's HUR claims * New clips
"If you put it together, you could say that Zelensky is patient and President Trump is getting impatient, but in the right direction, which is towards Russia," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said after holding separate talks with both Trump and Zelensky this weekend.
"There is no reason to talk about (troops) at the moment, we are far from that. We want the weapons to stop, the killing to end," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
"During our talks we discussed negotiations in Istanbul to where the Russians sent a low level delegation of non-decision-makers," Zelensky wrote on X.
The move follows the resignation of Oleksandr Shyrshyn, commander of the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade.
As Ukraine's liberating forces advanced in the fall of 2022, several trucks stopped near the rear yard of the Kherson Local History Museum. Inside the building itself, dozens of people moved back and forth like ants through the corridors. These people didn't work there — they were employees from museums in
According to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR), the move is intended to intimidate Ukraine, as well as EU and NATO member states.
Zelensky presented the pope with a special icon, "Mother of God with Child," painted on a fragment of a box that held heavy artillery in the war-torn town of Izium.
The 13th Book Arsenal festival, one of Ukraine’s premier interdisciplinary cultural events attracting voices from across the country and around the globe, will take place in Kyiv from May 29 to June 1. Over the course of four days, the festival offers a number of discussion panels, book presentations,
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include information from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR). Poland and Romania — key NATO allies bordering Ukraine — are holding presidential elections on May 18, with both votes unfolding under the shadow of Russian interference and rising far-right influence. The simultaneous elections are being
At the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia was estimated to have around 3,300 operational tanks.
Ukraine's Air Force said it intercepted 88 drones, while 128 others vanished from radars, likely used as decoys to overwhelm air defenses. The assault involved coordinated use of electronic warfare units, mobile fire teams, and anti-aircraft systems.
(Updated: )
