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.
"(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.
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on May 5, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Annabelle Gordon for the Washington Post via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump "will continue to work with both sides" to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, Trump said in a social media post on May 11.
Trump's comments come shortly after Ukraine and Europe put forth a proposal for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire beginning May 12. Russian President Vladimir Putin has not agreed to the plan, but has invited Kyiv to resume direct talks in Istanbul on May 15.
"A potentially great day for Russia and Ukraine!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.
"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."
Trump did not directly mention the ceasefire proposal or Putin's suggested talks in Istanbul. It is not clear what he is referring to when he mentions a "great day for Russia and Ukraine."
Trump spoke to President Volodymyr Zelensky and visiting European leaders via phone on May 10 in a conversation described as "productive." The Trump administration has backed the Ukrainian-European ceasefire proposal and threatened to impose sanctions against Moscow if it does not comply.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on May 11 that Putin's proposed talks were "a first step, but not enough," adding that an unconditional ceasefire does not require negotiations in advance.
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.
Abbey Fenbert
