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."
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with students while visiting the Moscow State University on Students' Day in Moscow on Jan. 25, 2023. (Maksim Mishin/ Sputnik/ AFP via Getty Images)
Russia's government is continuing efforts to suppress information by telling universities not to discuss problems within the country, according to the latest update from the U.K. Defense Ministry.
Russia's Education Ministry reportedly told universities not to openly discuss "negative political, economic and social trends" in Russia in the course of their academic activities.
British intelligence believes this is an attempt to suppress criticism of the invasion of Ukraine ahead of incumbent Vladimir Putin's expected re-election bid in March 2024.
The intelligence update said this is likely to continue making the Russian policy sphere into even more of a Kremlin-expedient echo chamber.
Ukrainian and foreign military experts have told the Kyiv Independent that political interests are the driving force behind military decisions in Ukraine, much more than sound strategic considerations.
Igor is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously covered conflict in the Middle East, investigated corruption in Ukraine and man-made environmental damage in Southeast Asia. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and was published in the Kyiv Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, Daily Beast and Foreign Policy.
Alexander Khrebet
