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.
Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (R) speaks with outgoing president Tsai Ing-wen (L) during his inauguration ceremony at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei on May 20, 2024. (Sam Yeh / AFP via Getty Images)
Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen emphasized the importance of U.S. support for Ukraine during the Halifax International Security Forum on Nov. 23, urging Washington to prioritize helping Kyiv despite the rising threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
"They should do whatever they can to help the Ukrainians," Tsai said, according to a Politico report. "We [Taiwan] still have time."
Tsai’s comments came after U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo acknowledged that aiding Ukraine has begun to strain the U.S. military’s capacity to prepare for potential conflict in Asia. Paparo highlighted the depletion of critical weapon stockpiles, including Patriots and air-to-air missiles.
During her Halifax appearance, Tsai argued that Ukraine's success against Russian aggression would serve as a global deterrent.
"A Ukrainian victory will serve as the most effective deterrent to future aggression," she said.
Taiwan has increased its defense spending by 80% over the past eight years, reaching $19 billion in 2024. However, Tsai dismissed calls for Taiwan to raise its defense budget to 10% of GDP, a suggestion made by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. "We would have some difficulty accepting an arbitrary figure," she said, according to Politico.
While the Biden administration has consistently defended its ability to balance support for Ukraine and preparations for a conflict with China, Trump allies argue otherwise. Tsai remained cautious about Taiwan's defense strategy under Trump’s presidency, declining to comment on potential major arms purchases in early 2025.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Olena Goncharova
