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 walks with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv on January 12, 2024. Sunak visited Kyiv to launch "a major new package of support" for Ukraine and increase military funding for this financial year to £2.5 billion ($3.2 billion), his office said. (Stefan Rousseau/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the U.K. signed on Jan. 12 is "unprecedented" and that this day "entered the history of our state."
The comments came after U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Kyiv on Jan. 12 and announced a 2.5-billion-pound ($3.2 billion) military aid package. Sunak and Zelensky also signed a new deal on security cooperation, the first bilateral commitment finalized as part of the security assurances announced by the Group of Seven (G7) last July.
The security deal signed by Sunak and Zelensky stipulates London's commitment to support Kyiv for a period of 10 years.
The deal, published on the presidential office's website, sets out a mode of cooperation in the military sphere, maritime security, defense industry, protection of critical infrastructure, and cybersecurity.
It also recognized Russia and its proxies as "dangerous organized crime" and affirmed a commitment to restoring the full territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Zelensky compared it to the security agreement between the U.S. and Israel.
"This is not simply a declaration. This is a reality that will come to fruition as a result of our cooperation, including security commitments from a major global power, the United Kingdom," Zelensky said.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
