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.
A screen grab captured from a video shows Taiwan's army conducting military exercises following China's large-scale joint military drill around Taiwan on May 23, 2024. (Taiwan's Military News Agency/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The United States is "deeply concerned" about the joint military drills China has conducted around Taiwan in recent days, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement issued May 25.
China launched two days of military drills encircling Taiwan on May 23, in an act of retaliation following the inauguration of Taiwan's democratically-elected president Lai Ching-te, an advocate of Taiwanese independence.
"The United States is deeply concerned over the People's Liberation Army joint military drills in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan," Miller's statement read.
Miller said the state department was closely monitoring the situation in partnership with allies.
Fears of escalating Chinese military intervention in Taiwan have risen sharply since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The war has served as a possible model of how both Taipei and the international community might respond if Beijing decides to invade.
The U.S. state department urged China to "act with restraint" regarding the Taiwanese election.
"Using a normal, routine, and democratic transition as an excuse for military provocations risks escalation and erodes longstanding norms," Miller said.
China announced on May 22 that it was sanctioning 12 American military companies and 10 defense executives, partially in response to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Asami Terajima
