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.
A view of a landmine area in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 10, 2023. (Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Foreign partners have allocated over $700 million for demining in Ukraine, the Reintegration Ministry reported on April 7.
The U.S., Switzerland, Norway, EU countries, and Japan are among the key donors. The demining coalition for Ukraine includes about 20 countries.
Nearly a third of Ukraine's territory, totaling around 174,000 square kilometers, has been mined since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Minefields between Ukrainian troops and entrenched Russian positions played a significant role in halting the 2023 counteroffensive and preventing the liberation of occupied territories.
According to the Ukrainian government, the funds are intended for demining projects in Ukraine from 2022 to 2027.
The Ukrainian government reported on April 4 that mine-related explosions had killed 296 civilians and injured 665 others.
It’s hard to count landmines as they are hidden in fields, underneath the soil, in the forests, and the ruins of the cities.
At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia had a stockpile of 26 million landmines —the largest in the world, according to various estimates.
The government will spearhead demining efforts in collaboration with top experts and emergency response services.
Primary coordinators encompass the Sectoral Working Group, comprising donors, and the Mine Action Cluster, restored in March 2024 to serve as a central platform for programmatic coordination among relevant actors.
Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.
Rich Wordsworth
