Hungary cancelled a meeting planned for May 12 with a Ukrainian delegation on the rights of national minorities, Hungary's Deputy Foreign Minister said on May 11, amid a deepening spying scandal between the two countries.
Three were injured in Russia's Kursk Oblast when the town of Rylsk was allegedly struck by a missile attack on May 11, local governor Alexander Khinshtein claimed.
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.
A soldier attends to 155mm shells for a 2S22 Bohdana self-propelled howitzer in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on March 5, 2025. (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Oslo will allocate around $454 million for the purchase of artillery ammunition for Ukraine, the Norwegian government announced on April 7.
Around $363 million will be devoted to the Czech-led initiative to provide Kyiv with artillery shells. Another $91 million will be allocated to the European Peace Fund (EPF), from which funds are allocated for the purchase of weapons for Ukraine.
In 2024, the Czech initiative supplied Kyiv with 1.5 million rounds of ammunition, including 500,000 large-caliber 155mm and 152mm shells. The initiative has secured funding to continue monthly deliveries until September 2025, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.
"We are now strengthening our cooperation with the EU to provide Ukraine with, among other things, more artillery ammunition," said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store.
"Europe must assume greater responsibility for supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom."
Norway's funds are part of the recent country's decision to increase aid for Ukraine to $7.8 billion in 2025.
Oslo has been one of Ukraine's most committed European backers, providing military aid, humanitarian assistance, and financial support.
The country has also played a key role in stabilizing Ukraine's energy sector and hosting Ukrainian refugees.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
