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.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu during an interview at the Taiwanese Foreign Ministry in Taipei, Taiwan, on April 26, 2024. (Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry)
Taiwan's Ministry of Economy has decided to expand sanctions against Russia and Belarus by prohibiting the export of nitrocellulose, a crucial component used in projectile production.
Nitrocellulose, essential for smokeless gunpowder and rocket fuel, is already subject to export bans in the U.S. and the EU.
To enforce this measure, the ministry emphasizes the necessity of closing regulatory loopholes and imposes a fine of 1 million Taiwan Dollars (almost $31,000) for violations.
These sanctions are part of Taiwan's condemnation of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and its solidarity with Western measures against it, despite minimal direct trade between Taiwan and Russia.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu believes that the island’s future is dependent on the war in Ukraine.
“Our lesson is that if Russia can do that to Ukraine, China might do the same to Taiwan,” Wu said.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Nate Ostiller
