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.
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Monday, May 12
"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."
Monday, May 12
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.
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"There is no point in prolonging the killings. And I will wait for Putin on Thursday in Turkey," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"We cannot allow NATO's military infrastructure to get that close to our borders," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
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.
Preliminary findings suggest that one of the men killed the other before taking his own life.
Western leaders dismissed the Kremlin's proposal for talks in Istanbul on May 15 as insufficient.
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.
This post is part of Live Updates. Read our coverage here
News FeedUS Senators to advocate for Sweden's NATO bid during visit to Hungary
• 2 min read
A bipartisan delegation of U.S. Senators will visit Hungary this week to advocate for Sweden's accession to NATO, as Hungary remains the only NATO country to not yet ratify Sweden's entry into the alliance.
The U.S. Embassy to Hungary said in a statement on Feb. 16 that the senators will lead the delegation "on a mission focused on strategic issues confronting NATO and Hungary."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Jan. 24 that Budapest supports Stockholm's entry. Hungary's ruling Fidesz party said Sweden's bid could be ratified when parliament reconvenes later this month.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Orban, a notoriously Russian-friendly leader, has repeatedly taken stances against support for Ukraine. Hungary has also obstructed EU sanctions against Russia, including blocking the EU's latest package of sanctions against Russia on Feb. 15.
For months, Orban blocked the EU's $54 billion aid funding for Ukraine, finally agreeing to the aid package on Feb. 1 after months-long negotiations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed into force the parliament's ratification of Sweden's NATO membership on Jan. 25, overcoming a major hurdle for Sweden's accession as the 32nd member of NATO.
News of the U.S. delegation coincides with statements from Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson, who revealed to the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 16 that Sweden is willing to supply Ukraine with modern fighter jets. However, the Nordic nation first needs a full-fledged NATO membership, Jonson said.
Finland also applied to join NATO in May 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and was admitted as a member in April 2023.
Swedish minister reaffirms willingness to send jets to Ukraine after finalizing NATO bid
Sweden is open to providing Ukraine with modern fighter jets, but first needs a full-fledged NATO membership and the security provided by Article 5, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said on Feb. 16 at the Munich Security Conference, according to a Kyiv Independent reporter.
Martin Fornusek
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