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."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech on the stand in front of the first General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon received by Ukraine, congratulating the Ukrainian military on Aug. 4, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump could potentially fulfill his promise to end the war in Ukraine, but only if he involves Kyiv in any discussions, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
While the specifics of a potential agreement under Trump remain unclear, Zelensky emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in ending the war. Trump's promise, made during his election campaign, to resolve the war within 24 hours of taking office was vague, and his aides have since indicated that such a resolution could take months.
Zelensky insisted that the war could not end unless Ukraine is part of the negotiations: "Otherwise it will not work. Because Russia does not want to end the war, while Ukraine wants to end it."
He also expressed uncertainty about how a deal could materialize, noting that even Trump himself might not fully understand the details. "I believe President Trump himself does not know all the details. Because I would say so much depends on what sort of just peace we can achieve. And whether Putin wants, in principle, to stop the war. I believe he doesn't want to," Zelensky said.
Despite the lack of clarity, Zelensky believed that Trump genuinely wants to see the war come to an end. He mentioned that the situation, nearing its third anniversary next month, remains complicated, but Trump has recognized the risks of prolonging the war. "He is simply saying this has to end or it will get worse," Zelensky said of Trump's stance on the peace process.
Trump has indicated a willingness to engage in talks with Putin, contrasting with the Biden administration, which distanced itself from the Russian leader.
Zelensky also emphasized the importance of including European allies in future peace talks, especially as Ukraine seeks to join the European Union. "As for what the set-up of the talks will be: Ukraine, I really hope Ukraine will be there, America, Europe and Russia," Zelensky stated. Both Ukraine submitted its EU membership applications shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, signaling their aspirations for closer ties with the West.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Andrea Januta
