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."
Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, Ukraine's deputy defense minister since February 2023, was appointed as the head of Ukraine's Ground Forces by a presidential decree on Feb. 11, 2024. (Defense Ministry/Telegram)
The main goal of the Ukrainian forces is to stabilize the situation on the front line and create an offensive grouping to conduct counteroffensive actions in 2024, Ukraine's Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Pavliuk said on national television March 6.
The Armed Forces withdrew in February from several settlements in Donetsk Oblast, including Avdiivka, a key front-line city, due to severe ammunition shortages exacerbated by delays in U.S. aid.
Heavy battles also continue in Kherson, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhizhia Oblasts as Russian troops try to advance further, using not only military equipment but also conducting "human wave" assaults.
Pavliuk said that the current situation on the front line is "difficult but controlled."
Russia wants to occupy as many territories as possible before the Russian presidential elections, which is why all their forces are involved in the assault operations, according to the Ukrainian commander.
Pavliuk also said that Russia sends recently mobilized and unprepared soldiers to the front line to "intercept the initiative."
"Our goal is to stabilize the front line, to destroy the enemy as much as possible, regroup as much as possible to move the units to landfills to create an offensive grouping, and to conduct counteroffensive actions this year," Pavliuk said.
Russian troops are making the most intense efforts near the city of Chasiv Yar and the village of Terny in Donetsk Oblast, according to the commander. Ukrainian forces "stand confident," and "Russia's losses are high," Pavliuk added.
"I think we will stabilize the situation soon and do everything to prepare forces to switch to more active actions and take the initiative," he said.
Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said earlier in February that Ukrainian troops have switched from offensive to defensive posture and aim to exhaust advancing Russian forces.
Changes in Ukraine's tactics were compelled by the lack of weaponry sent by Western allies.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
