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.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Singapore's President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 16, 2024. (President Volodymyr Zelensky/X)
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with the leaders of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and Rwanda, Paul Kagame, for the first time on the sidelines of the Davos forum on Jan. 16, as well as with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Zelensky wrote on the social media platform X.
Zelensky held a series of talks as part of his trip, including with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
While Ukraine seeks to strengthen relations with African countries, Zelensky said that their “voice is important” for putting Ukraine's peace formula into action, calling participation of Rwanda's representative in the fourth peace formula meeting on Jan. 14 “an important signal.”
“Ukraine has established an embassy in Rwanda and is interested in strengthening ties with the region and exporting agricultural goods,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky urged his Singaporean and Vietnamese counterparts to join Ukraine’s 10-point peace plan, which includes the restoration of the country's territorial integrity, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, and holding those responsible for war crimes accountable.
“I am grateful to Singapore for its humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, as well as its support for sanctions and UN resolutions,” the president wrote.
Zelensky also said he “thanked Vietnam for its support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as humanitarian assistance.”
In talks with the Vietnamese prime minister, the two leaders discussed prospects for cooperation in cybersecurity and agriculture. Zelensky mentioned the defense in the Black Sea region, which helps Ukraine remain an agricultural products exporter despite the risks of Russian attacks.
The Ukrainian Navy opened a temporary corridor in August 2023 after the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative earlier on July 17, allowing cargo ships to exit and enter the region's ports.
As of Jan. 8, Ukraine has already exported almost 15 million metric tons of cargo via this route, including 10 million metric tons of agricultural products, according to Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Martin Fornusek
