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."
Image reportedly shows a successful Ukrainian strike on a Russian observation post near Tokmak on Sept. 24, 2023. (Image via Ivan Fedorov / Telegram)
The Ukrainian counteroffensive continues operations in the Melitopol sector, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces announced on Sept. 24.
"The Defense Forces continue their offensive in the Melitopol sector. Our defenders successfully repelled enemy attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast," the report said.
Ivan Fedorov, Melitopol's exiled mayor, said via Telegram that residents reported loud explosions in Tokmak.
He also uploaded footage claiming to show "a direct hit" on a Russian observation post near Tokmak.
Sept. 24 marks the celebration of Melitopol's City Day.
President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the occasion, shared among 17 Ukrainian cities, in a Telegram post.
"We will liberate Melitopol," he said.
Melitopol has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The city has been turned into a Russian military base under the occupation.
Fedorov also said that he hoped every exiled resident of Melitopol would be able to return home soon.
"Together we will raise our yellow and blue flag over the city!" he said.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
