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."
16 December 2024, Berlin: Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene takes part in a press conference with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius after signing a purchase contract for 44 Leopard II A8 main battle tanks at the Federal Ministry of Defense in Berlin, Germany, on Dec. 16, 2024. (Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene urged European countries on Feb. 24 to "move faster" in strengthening their security in the light of recent geopolitical shifts.
Speaking in the context of Russian aggression in Ukraine and Europe's need to boost its defense capabilities, Sakaliene said, "When you feel that your own ass is burning, you start to move faster."
"So I do hope that we will start to move faster in the next few months," Lithuania's defense chief said at the YES conference event held in Kyiv by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on Feb. 24, the third anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion.
The comments come as European leaders and other partners gather in Kyiv to devise a common strategy for Ukraine's security and pledge further assistance.
The stability of the pro-Ukraine coalition grows uncertain as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies diplomatic outreach to Moscow while sidelining Ukraine and Europe, casting doubt on his commitment to Ukrainian security.
"We need to strengthen our transatlantic bond. Even though we are a dysfunctional family, a divorce is not an option," Sakaliene said at the event, which was attended by the Kyiv Independent.
In contrast, Lithuania's former foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, said at the conference that "Europe has to understand we are in this fight most likely alone, there’s us and Ukrainians and no one else. We pick up this battle or lose."
"Is Europe actually alive? If it still hasn't woken up, what’s happening with the patient?" Landsbergis said.
Lithuania's former diplomacy chief urged Europe to confiscate the roughly $200 billion in frozen assets frozen in European accounts and deploy peacekeepers on the ground in Ukraine.
"The only question that remains is whether we ask Putin for permission. It’s not a joke. Leaders in Europe say, 'We will send troops if (Russian President Vladimir) Putin allows it.' This is the mentality, and we need to break it," Landsbergis said.
Calls for confiscating frozen Russian assets and taking more decisive steps against Russia were also supported by businessman and oligarch Viktor Pinchuk, the host of the conference.
"Europe needs to completely change its understanding of this moment and do something simple but revolutionary—use $300 billion frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, increase the military budget at least to 3%, spend much more money on supporting Ukraine and your own defense, send soldiers to Ukraine, and take Ukraine into the EU now, not later," Pinchuk said at the event.
"This is the right response to this moment. You are not just witnesses to this moment; you are participants."
Francis Farrell
