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.
Oleksandr Syrskyi awards Ukrainian fighters of the 10th Mountain Assault Brigade “Edelweiss” in the Soledar direction on July 2, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Yuriy Mate/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
U.S. military assistance to Kyiv has decreased, with European countries now providing the main portion of aid, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview with the LB.UA outlet published on April 9.
Washington has been Kyiv's leading military donor throughout the full-scale war, but President Donald Trump's accession to office brought a major shift in U.S. policy on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump has permitted the continued flow of assistance approved by former U.S. President Joe Biden – except for a brief halt on all military aid in March – but has yet to sign off on any new packages.
"Support from partners, of course, plays a crucial role (in changing the strategic situation in the war)," Syrskyi said in the interview. The U.S. provided Ukraine with some $100 billion in military aid since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war in 2022, including $67 billion in arms.
"Now, the assistance from the U.S. has decreased, and the main support comes from our partners in Europe," the commander added.
A number of European countries have pledged further aid packages for Ukraine amid the growing uncertainty about U.S. support. The Trump administration has also urged Europe to increase its share of aid for Ukraine and take more responsibility for its own security.
"But we must also rely on our own strength. We have had success in the production of artillery and quite significant successes with electronic warfare," Syrskyi said.
"Drones as well. So many types, models of drones used to strike (Russia) at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels."
Aiming to reduce its reliance on foreign support, Ukraine has ramped up its domestic defense production over the past years. The country's 2025 budget allocated Hr 55 billion ($1.3 billion) for weapons production.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that around 40% of the weapons and equipment Ukraine uses on the battlefield are Ukrainian-made, while the U.S. contributes roughly 30%.
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.
Dominic Culverwell
