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."
Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin at the "Ukraine. Year 2024" panel in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 25, 2024. (Courtesy: "Ukraine. Year 2024" forum)
Ukraine's $40 billion defense budget for this year includes $6 billion for arms procurement, Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin told journalists on April 14, Interfax-Ukraine reported.
Kyiv aims to localize weapons production and intensify its efforts to ramp up domestic manufacture of drones, a critical tool on the battlefield, amid rising uncertainty surrounding military aid from the U.S.
In late December last year, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine had tripled its domestic production of equipment and weapons in 2023 compared to the year before.
According to Kamyshin, $30 billion of the total amount has been allocated for payments to the military in 2024. Another part will be spent on fuel and clothes for soldiers.
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"This is the sum ($6 billion) that we have in contracts for our manufacturers, primarily Ukrainian ones, and it is very little, as our production capacity is three times greater," Kamyshin said.
Kyiv is currently negotiating with foreign partners to purchase Ukrainian military items at their expense and then transfer them to the country's armed forces, according to the minister.
Ukraine is ready to cover its needs with its own production in some areas, including armored vehicles, unmanned systems of all types, and artillery systems, added Kamyshin.
Ukraine has agreements on joint defense production with a number of countries, including the U.S.
In December 2023, Kyiv and Washington signed a statement of intent on the co-production of weapons.
The agreement between the two nations will reportedly contribute to the construction of production facilities in Ukraine to supply the military with arms, in particular air defense equipment and ammunition, as well as repair and maintenance services.
Oleksandr Tartachnyi
