U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter during a news conference in the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 21, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)
Key developments on May 14:
Trump says he's unsure whether Putin will attend Ukraine peace talks in Turkey as Kremlin stays silent
Russia likely preparing major offensive in Ukraine despite peace efforts, FT reports
Trump needs to understand that Putin lies, blocks peace efforts, Zelensky says
EU agrees on 17th package of Russia sanctions targeting 'shadow fleet'
Council of Europe backs special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine
U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 14 that he is unsure whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey on May 15.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Putin to hold ceasefire talks in Turkey this week in what would be the first direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv since 2022.
Russia has confirmed that it will dispatch a delegation but declined to confirm Putin's participation. Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky hinted that the delegation's composition would be announced on the evening of May 14.
A former Russian official told the Washington Post that Moscow will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and aide Yuri Ushakov. However, pro-government outlet Kommersant reported that Lavrov will not attend the possible Russia-Ukraine talks.
Without confirming his attendance, Ushakov told journalists that the Russian delegation's composition will be based on the range of political and technical issues that should be discussed.
Trump has voiced optimism about the possible meeting of the two leaders and suggested he might attend as well.
"Thursday's meeting between Russia and Ukraine is very important. I strongly pushed for it to happen. I think good things can come from it," the U.S. president said earlier this week.
Zelensky welcomed Trump's potential participation while calling upon the U.S. leader to realize that Putin continues to manipulate and obstruct peace efforts.
Trump is not expected to join the meeting, unnamed Turkish officials cited told Bloomberg, but added that they did not fully rule out a last-minute visit.
Ukraine and its allies have called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire starting on May 12 as the first step toward peace — a proposal ignored by Russia.
"If Putin does not arrive and plays games, it is the final point that he does not want to end the war," Zelensky said in Kyiv on May 13.
The White House has grown increasingly frustrated with the stalled peace efforts as the self-imposed 100-day deadline to broker a deal has passed. The U.S. president has been critical of both Ukraine and Russia, blaming them for the deadlock in the negotiations.
Russia likely preparing major offensive in Ukraine despite peace efforts, FT reports
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
These reported preparations indicate Moscow's efforts to escalate the war despite expected ceasefire talks this week and calls by Kyiv and its partners for an unconditional 30-day truce.
Russia has rejected ceasefire proposals unless accompanied by a halt on military aid for Ukraine and continues ground assaults along the front and long-range strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Some 163 clashes were recorded at the front over the past day, the Ukrainian military reported on the morning of May 14. The DeepState monitoring group said that Russian forces recently advanced in Toretsk and near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast.
Kyiv has been warning about a major Russian spring offensive aimed at seizing as much territory as possible to strengthen its position in potential negotiations. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said last month this campaign had "effectively already begun" with the intensification of Russian assaults.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said on May 13 that if Putin does not come to Turkey, it will be "the last signal" that Russia "does not want to end the war and is not ready for any negotiations."
Trump needs to understand that Putin lies, blocks peace efforts, Zelensky says
U.S. President Donald Trump must realize that Russian President Vladimir Putin is an obstacle to peace efforts, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in comments reported by the Guardian on May 13.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv.
"And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
The White House has grown increasingly frustrated with the stalled peace efforts as the self-imposed 100-day deadline to broker a deal has passed. The U.S. president has been critical of both Ukraine and Russia, blaming them for the deadlock in the negotiations.
After meeting Zelensky in the Vatican on April 26, Trump admitted that Putin may not be interested in peace and floated the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia.
EU agrees on 17th package of Russia sanctions targeting 'shadow fleet'
EU ambassadors on May 14 agreed on the bloc's 17th package of sanctions against Russia, primarily targeting its shadow fleet of oil tankers.
"This is a strong signal that the EU remains united behind the people of Ukraine," European Council President Antonio Costa said on X.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's shadow fleet, 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, and 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, a senior EU official speaking on condition of anonymity told the Kyiv Independent.
Russia has been using the shadow fleet to avoid Western sanctions and ship out its oil above the G7-imposed price cap. European countries have also linked the fleet to espionage and sabotage operations.
The new set of steps further includes measures targeting Russia's hybrid operations, namely establishing the legal basis for countering propaganda outlets or vessels and entities involved in the sabotage of underwater cables, airports, or servers.
"So, you can see the direction we are going. In addition to 'traditional' sectoral and individual sanctions, we are broadening and more actively using other sanctions to hit Russia where we see the threats or where they aim to bypass the existing sanctions," the source said.
The EU will also sanction more than 20 entities and individuals disseminating disinformation, and 20 judges and prosecutors involved in legal cases against two Russian oppositionists, Vladimir Kara-Murza and late Alexei Navalny.
Brussels is further imposing a ban on chemicals used in missile production.
"I welcome the agreement on our 17th sanctions package against Russia," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X.
"This war has to end. We will keep the pressure high on the Kremlin."
Talks on the 17th package began shortly after the EU adopted the 16th package on Feb. 24. The last package targeted the shadow fleet, financial institutions, entities involved in the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland have pledged to impose additional sanctions against Russia if the Kremlin does not accept their proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Council of Europe backs special tribunal for Russian aggression against Ukraine
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
The decision marks a milestone in international efforts to hold Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials accountable for launching the full-scale war against Ukraine.
"The decision was made in Luxembourg as part of the annual meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe," Mezentseva, who chairs Ukraine's delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), wrote on Telegram.
European foreign ministers gave political approval to the tribunal, which will operate under the auspices of the Council of Europe, during a meeting in Lviv on May 9.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has long advocated for the tribunal to ensure that Putin and other senior Russian officials face justice for launching the invasion three years ago.
Ukrainian prosecutors have documented thousands of war crimes committed by Russian forces, including attacks on civilians, cultural and medical sites, and acts of torture and deportation.
While war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide can be prosecuted against individuals at any level, the crime of aggression applies exclusively to state leaders responsible for planning and waging a war.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
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Chris York
