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.
A Russian drone hit a civilian freight train in Donetsk Oblast on May 12 and injured its driver, Ukrainian Railways said amid Kyiv's calls for a ceasefire.
Moscow and Hanoi agreed to negotiate and sign agreements to construct nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement on May 11.
The sanctions appear to be in response to Russia's rejection of a 30-day ceasefire that the U.K., alongside Ukraine, France, Germany, and Poland, demanded during a visit to Kyiv on May 10.
"We now know for sure that the great fire of the Marywilska shopping centre in Warsaw was caused by arson ordered by the Russian special services," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on X. "Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others are identified and searched for."
The publications' latest report covers the period of February 24, 2022 to May 8, 2025. Since it was last updated at the end of April, 2,857 additional Russian military personnel have been confirmed killed.
Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
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.
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he hosts the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 21, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Mandel Ngan /AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump said there is a "very good" chance of a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, he told reporters during an Easter event at the White House on April 21.
"I will be giving you full details over the next three days, but we had very good meetings on Ukraine, Russia," the U.S. president said. "There is a very good chance (to reach a ceasefire)."
The comments follow a report by the Wall Street Journal on April 20 that outlined a U.S. proposal for ending Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
According to a document obtained by the outlet, the proposal includes recognition of Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and a guarantee that Ukraine would not join NATO — two key Kremlin demands.
The proposals, outlined by senior Trump administration officials in a confidential meeting with Ukrainian and European counterparts in Paris on April 17, were confirmed by Western officials to the publication.
Ukraine's feedback is expected at a follow-up meeting in London later this week. If there is alignment between Kyiv, Washington, and European allies, the proposals could be formally introduced to Moscow.
U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg told Fox News on April 20 that "NATO isn't on the table," further confirming that Washington is considering excluding Ukraine's potential accession as part of the peace deal.
Kyiv has consistently said it would not recognize Russia's occupation of any Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
The U.S. proposal would mark a dramatic shift from a decade of bipartisan policy in Washington and contradict international law, which considers the 2014 annexation illegal.
Trump has repeatedly urged both sides to reach a deal, warning that he may pull U.S. support from the peace process if negotiations stall.
"Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week," he posted on Truth Social. "Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving, and make a fortune."
Despite Trump's push for a ceasefire, Moscow rejected a U.S. proposal for a 30-day truce and continues its offensive. On April 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a one-day Easter ceasefire, which President Volodymyr Zelensky said was violated roughly 3,000 times.
Putin has not extended the truce, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 20.
Zelensky has proposed a 30-day ceasefire focused on halting long-range drone and missile strikes against civilian infrastructure. Putin said the Kremlin needs to "look into" the proposal.
Chris York
