"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
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.
Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko during a press tour on humanitarian demining, Sept. 20, 2023. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ukraine's economy recorded positive growth this year despite significant wartime challenges, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Dec. 28.
"The key figure describing this year economically is almost 5 percent GDP growth. Our economy not only did not fall but grew at a pace that no one expected."
Ukraine is trying to maintain economic stability as uncertainty around funding from Western donors has proven to be a critical long-term challenge while the country endures Russian strikes on key infrastructure.
Expenditures on military operations are counted in GDP figures and may provide a short-term spending boost.
Earlier in December, Ukraine agreed with creditors from the G7 and the Paris Club to extend debt restructuring to 2027.
President Zelensky in Kyiv on Dec. 19 told reporters he plans to reduce government expenditures because significant funding will be needed for fresh mobilization efforts.
Ukraine risks a serious economic downturn in 2024 unless its Western supporters can muster enough funds to fill a massive hole in its budget, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told Politico in November.
Lance Luo (Li P. Luo) is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, he worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Hromadske Television in Kyiv. He also spent three years in finance and strategy consulting. Mr. Luo graduated from the University of Southern California and serves as an arbitrator at FINRA.
Lance Luo
