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.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end... I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens."
Ukraine's Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak attends the "Ukraine Year 2024" forum in Kyiv on Feb. 25, 2024. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: Andriy Yermak's spokesperson clarified on April 6 that Yermak's comments for Politico were misinterpreted by the outlet. The head of the Presidential Office referred only to Russian missile strikes against Kharkiv, not a potential offensive. We reported on the latest developments here.
Russia could launch a new counteroffensive at the end of May or the beginning of June, likely targeting Kharkiv, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, told Politico on April 5.
Russia recently intensified attackson Kharkiv amid warnings of a potential assault against Ukraine's second-largest city, as reported by the independent Russian media outlet Meduza, citing anonymous sources.
Nevertheless,Ukraine's military intelligence called the potential attack on Kharkiv "a part of a Russian psychological operation," adding that there were no signs of Moscow preparing new attack formations to carry out an offensive.
Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi also said that any Russia's attempt to take control over Kharkivsoon could be "fatal," but he did not rule out this scenario either.
Yermakstressed that Kyiv knows that the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is preparing a new wave of mobilization, and Ukrainian forces "have to be ready" for new attacks.
The head of Ukraine's Presidential Office also said that "Ukraine is approaching a critical moment," referring to the U.S. aid being stalled due to the disputes in the Republican-led House.
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Yermak hopes that aid will pass the vote in Congress "this month" as Ukrainian forces continue to face critical ammunition shortages on the front line.
"I don't believe anybody who represents the party of Ronald Reagan will abandon Ukraine," Yermak said.
"Reagan understood the Soviet Union and Russia, and anyone who does will continue to support our fighters because they understand that dictators never stop voluntarily and have to be stopped."
Yermak also said that Ukraine still critically needs additional air defense systems, recalling the latest Russian attacks carried out with aerial guided bombs, which Patriotsurface-to-air missiles can counter by intercepting Russian aircraft.
"Without them (modern air defense systems), it is impossible for us to defend our cities," he added.
As Russia intensified its attacks on Ukraine during the spring, the shortage of air defense systems in Ukrainian cities and villages became more tangible.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russiareportedly launched over 400 missiles of various types, 600 Shahed drones, and 3,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine in March, causing severe damage to the civilian and energy infrastructure.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Francis Farrell
