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.
Border guards who defended Mariupol attend an award ceremony on Oct. 21, 2022, in Lviv, Ukraine. In the Western regional office of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the keys to the apartments were handed over to twelve Heroes-border guards. (Kateryna Rodak/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian government reduced the number of documents one needs to apply for combat veteran status, official government representative in parliament Taras Melnychuk reported on Aug. 22.
From now on, it’s enough to submit only one document proving direct participation in hostilities to qualify for the status, according to Melnychuk.
Previously, the list of documents that could confirm one’s combat veteran eligibility included copies of combat reports and orders, logs of combat operations, and investigation reports on injuries, among others.
Such status gives veterans a number of benefits, including free medicines and treatment, discounts on rent and utility bills, free travel on public transport, free housing from the state in case of a service-related disability, etc.
On the same day, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that around a million Ukrainians have become combat veterans since the Russian invasion of Donbas in 2014.
Speaking at the VI International Veterans Forum in Kyiv, Reznikov added that the veterans are concerned about obtaining the corresponding status, passing the military medical examination, and receiving compensation for injuries.
“We are working on all these issues, and there will be changes. Now the processes are already quickly digitized, there will be significantly fewer papers, queues, etc.”
Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren also spoke at the forum, pledging to continue supporting Ukrainian soldiers and veterans.
According to Ollongren, the Netherlands and other allies are working to expand medical rehabilitation capacities in Ukraine, sharing their experience with Ukrainian specialists in the field.
“When we set up this system, we will have a whole network of medical centers in Ukraine based on regional centers for veterans with the best possible care,” she added.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Dinara Khalilova
