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."
The flag of Russian-occupied Abkhazia is seen in St. Petersburg, Russia. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia has begun providing electricity aid to Georgia's Russian-held Abkhazia region amid a major energy crisis, local authorities told the Russian TASS news agency on Dec. 23.
The press service of the Abkhaz energy company Chernomorenergo reported that a schedule from Nov. 1, under which electricity will be unavailable for four hours per day, is in effect.
The region has previously faced energy shutdowns for nine-to-11 hours per day, prompting its acting head, Badra Gunba, to appeal to Russia for support on Dec. 21.
The crisis was aggravated by a spat between Abkhazia and Moscow that broke out after the local council voted against a controversial investment agreement with Russia following popular protests.
Soon after, Russia cut almost all funding to Abkhazia, including money crucial for the region's energy sector. The region lost all electricity for a day on Dec. 11 after the Enguri hydroelectric power station shut down due to a low water level in a nearby reservoir.
Russia has occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia after a war with Tbilisi in 2008, backing local breakaway leadership. Both regions are internationally recognized as Georgia's sovereign soil.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Katie Marie Davies
