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.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi (left) and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov shake hands during a meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 9, 2024. (Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov held his first meeting with General Oleksandr Syrskyi after his appointment as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief to discuss plans for the country's Armed Forces in 2024, the Defense Ministry reported on Feb. 9.
A day before, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Zaluzhnyi and appointed Syrskyi as the new chief commander following months of speculation about a rift in Ukraine's leadership. Zaluzhnyi has led the country's military since July 2021.
Syrskyi had previously served as the head of Ukraine's Ground Forces and commanded the Khortytsia Operational and Strategic Group fighting in eastern Ukraine.
Earlier on Feb. 9, Syrskyi laid out his priorities in managing the war, which will soon enter its third year.
"An extremely important issue is establishing the logistics system and timely addressing the necessary needs of the military. The focus is on an effective system of rotations and rest for units," Umerov said after the meeting.
Umerov and Syrskyi reportedly discussed improving the quality of military training, addressing the needs of training centers, and preparing new instructors.
Their meeting also focused on a newly created branch of Ukraine's Armed Forces dedicated to drones, according to the ministry.
"We expect new solutions, generalization of experience. And most importantly — technical tasks for the development of new samples (of unmanned systems). Those that will create a strategic advantage for us tomorrow. Thanks to Colonel General for the meaningful meeting!" Umerov said.
When announcing his decision to replace Zaluzhnyi with Syrskyi, Zelensky said he expects the new military leadership to come up with "a realistic, detailed" plan for 2024, solve problems with logistics, and conduct a "fair redistribution" of Western-provided arms "in favor of the zero line," among other things.
The president also wants Syrskyi to deal with the "excessive and unjustified" number of personnel serving in military headquarters, establish an effective system of rotations, and improve the quality of military training to ensure there are "only trained soldiers on the zero line."
Syrskyi is expected to present a new team of the Armed Forces's leadership in the coming days.
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
