NATO’s eastward expansion is a “fair” concern for Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Keith Kellogg said in an interview with ABC News on May 29.

As one of the conditions for ending the full-scale war against Ukraine, Putin demanded a written pledge by NATO not to accept more Eastern European members, which would effectively block Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova from joining, Reuters reported earlier this week.

Moscow has claimed that Ukraine’s NATO aspirations were one of the key causes of its invasion. Russian aggression against Ukraine began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, a time when Kyiv had little prospect of joining the alliance in the foreseeable future.

When asked whether Trump would commit to halting NATO expansion, Kellogg replied that “it’s a fair concern."

Trump’s special envoy also reiterated that Ukraine’s membership in the alliance “is not on the table,” adding that Washington is not alone in its hesitation, as several other member states share similar doubts about Kyiv’s accession.

“And that’s one of the issues Russia will bring up… They’re also talking about Georgia, they’re talking about Moldova, they’re talking — obviously — about Ukraine. And we’re saying, ‘Okay, let’s address this comprehensively,'” Kellogg said.

According to him, a decision of NATO’s expansion would ultimately be up to the U.S. president, and any agreement would likely involve negotiations between Trump, Putin, and President Volodymyr Zelensky to reach a settlement of the Russia’s war.

Trump has repeatedly echoed Moscow’s narrative that Ukraine’s efforts to join NATO have been one of the root causes of the full-scale invasion.

In March this year, Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha  rejected restrictions on joining international alliances and organizations — namely, NATO and the EU — as part of a potential peace deal.

Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, months after the outbreak of the full-scale war. The country has not received a formal invitation, as the 32 members have struggled to reach a consensus.

Infighting around EU rearmament undermines grand ambitions for European defense

Despite grand plans, the European Union’s hoped-for rearmament remains fully dependent on member nations stepping up their own defenses. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800-million-euro “Rearm Europe” plan to build out a defense architecture that has depended on the U.S. since the

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

Security advisors from the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany will attend planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia on June 2, U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said in an interview with ABC News on May 29.

“We’ll have what we call the E3. That is the national security advisors from Germany, France, and Great Britain… When we were in London, they kind of helped us mold a term sheet for Ukraine,” Kellogg said.

Ukraine and Russia held peace talks in Istanbul on May 16, where both sides agreed to a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange. The peace negotiations were largely inconclusive, with Moscow reiterating maximalist demands and sending a delegation of lower-level officials.

“What they’re doing with their ballistic missiles, with the Iskanders firing into cities like Kyiv, or using their drones shooting into Kyiv… When they did that the other day, that’s a direct violation of what’s called the Geneva protocols,” Kellogg said, reiterating previous statements.

Trump, on May 19, held a two-hour phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin during which Russia reiterated its refusal to a full ceasefire in its war against Ukraine.

“He’s killing a lot of people… I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin, I’ve known him for a long time,” Trump said on May 25. In the same statement, Trump told journalists sanctions against Russia could be on the table amid Russia’s intensified attacks.

Despite the peace talks in Turkey, Russia has increased drone and missile attacks against Ukraine.

Despite recent peace talks, Moscow has refused a ceasefire and instead insisted it will provide Ukraine with a memorandum of a peace proposal.

Russia has not given Ukraine the proposal despite indicating it would once peace talks concluded on May 16. Kyiv has not yet officially announced it will attend the next peace talks slated to take place on June 2 in Turkey.

Kellogg on May 27 criticized former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for comments that alluded to the threat of World War III, calling them “reckless” and “unfitting of a world power."

“Trump… is working to stop this war and end the killing. We await receipt of (the Russian) Memorandum… that you promised a week ago. Cease fire now,” Kellogg said.

“The indiscriminate killing of women and children at night in their homes is a clear violation of the 1977 Geneva Peace Protocols designed to protect innocents. These attacks are shameful,” Kellogg said on May 25, following Russian attacks on Kyiv.

Ukraine war latest: Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow

* Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, building damaged on the outskirts * Rubio, Lavrov discuss next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul * ‘No one has seen it yet’ — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks * Russia amassed enough troops to

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

U.S. President Donald Trump hopes that the forthcoming peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia will “move the ball forward” on his efforts to broker a peace deal, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on May 29.

Moscow proposed that the next round of direct talks be held on June 2 in Istanbul, where Russia will present a long-awaited memorandum outlining its conditions for a ceasefire. President Volodymyr Zelensky has criticized Russia’s delay in releasing its terms as a stalling tactic.

Trump claimed on May 28 that it would “take about two weeks, or week and a half,” to know if Russian President Vladimir Putin was stalling or truly interested in peace.

In response to a question about Trump’s recent comments, Leavitt said that the U.S. expects the Istanbul talks to go forward.

“It is my understanding and it is our hope that Russia and Ukraine will engage in direct talks and negotiations next week in Istanbul,” she told reporters.

“And we believe that meeting is going to take place, and that is a meeting the president encouraged and urged, for these two sides to come together and negotiate directly. And the president has been clear from the very beginning of this conflict that he wants to see this conflict solved on the negotiating table, not on the battlefield."

Trump has expressed his hopes for a negotiated settlement to both Putin and Zelensky in private and public comments, Leavitt said.

“So hopefully next week it will move the ball forward in this effort."

Leavitt did not confirm whether or not Trump would be participating directly in the next round of peace talks, saying she would update the press if the president chose to send a representative.

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Washington's attempts to broker a peace deal have not yielded any substantial breakthroughs thus far. For months, Moscow has resisted pressure to impose a full 30-day ceasefire, instead proposing (and subsequently violating) partial short-term truces, calling for further talks, and insisting Kyiv make extreme concessions to maximalist demands.

Meanwhile, Russia has dramatically escalated drone and missile attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine.

While Ukraine has been ready to accept a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire since March 11, the Kremlin has refused, dragging out the process with inconclusive talks while building up its forces in preparation for another military offensive in Ukraine this summer.

During a phone call with Putin on May 19, Trump was told that a "memorandum of peace" outlining conditions for a ceasefire would be delivered shortly. The Kremlin's failure to deliver the memorandum amid mass attacks signaled Russia's lack of urgency regarding the peace process.

Trump has at times criticized Putin for appearing to delay the negotiations, but has never followed through on any of his sanctions threats. Trump again threatened sanctions after Russia launched three days of mass attacks against Ukraine in a row, calling Putin "crazy" and warning that his actions could lead to "the downfall of Russia."

But on May 28, Trump said he would not impose new sanctions on Russia due to the forthcoming peace talks in Istanbul.

"If I think I'm close to getting a deal, I don't want to screw it up by doing that," he said.

• Russia reports 2nd consecutive day of Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, building damaged on the outskirts
• Rubio, Lavrov discuss next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul
• 'No one has seen it yet' — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks
• Russia amassed enough troops to attack Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns
• Next Ramstein summit to take place on June 4 in Brussels

A building was reportedly damaged on the outskirts of Moscow following a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian capital overnight on May 29, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported.

This marks the second consecutive day of attacks on Moscow Oblast, with multiple industrial facilities targeted by Ukrainian drones and several unmanned aircraft reportedly downed on approach to the capital on May 28.

Videos and photos posted on social media by local residents purportedly show damage sustained by a residential building on Vernadsky Avenue in Southwest Moscow. Explosions were heard in the area around 1:40 a.m. local time.

Sobyanin claimed that no one was injured in the attack that occurred as a result of falling drone debris.

The full extent of the damage was not immediately clear. Ukraine's military has not commented on the reported attack.

Russian air defenses shot down 48 Ukrainian drones overnight, including three over Moscow Oblast, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed.

The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify reports or claims made by Russian officials.

The previous night on May 28, Russian air defenses shot down 296 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions overnight, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed, potentially marking one of the heaviest drone attacks against Russia during the full-scale war.

How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds

Beginning overnight on Saturday, May 24, Russia rained down nearly a thousand drones and missiles on villages and cities across Ukraine in three nights of large-scale aerial attacks, as civilians spent hours sheltering underground. Russia’s bombardment killed more than a dozen people and injured dozens more, in one of

The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta

Rubio, Lavrov discuss next round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Moscow's "specific proposals" for the next round of peace talks with Ukraine, Russia's Foreign Ministry announced on May 29.

The two diplomats held a phone call on May 28, the day when Russia proposed holding negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2 in a follow-up to the first round on May 16.

Lavrov also "informed Marco Rubio about implementing the May 19 agreements between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Trump and Putin held a phone call on May 19, during which the Russian leader again rejected a truce and pushed for maximalist demands, but also voiced his readiness to negotiate a "memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty."

During the call with Lavrov, Rubio stressed Trump's "intention to quickly bring the Ukraine conflict to an end and expressed Washington's readiness to help the sides to bring their positions closer together," according to the Russian readout.

While initially reluctant to criticize Putin, Trump adopted an increasingly critical tone toward the Russian leader in recent days as Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities intensify and the Kremlin continues to reject calls for a ceasefire.

Kyiv and its European partners have urged the U.S. to impose additional sanctions to pressure Moscow to agree to a truce. Trump has refused to take the step so far, saying he is "close to getting a deal" and does not want to "screw it up" by fresh sanctions.

Europe’s ‘Trump shock’ is opportunity to forge ‘new West,’ Timothy Garton Ash says

A so-called “Trump shock” has plunged Europe into its deepest crisis since 1945, but also presents an opportunity for the continent to forge a “new West,” British historian and commentator Timothy Garton Ash has said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent. The first months of Trump’s presidency dispelled any

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

'No one has seen it yet' — Zelensky slams Russia for stalling on ceasefire memorandum ahead of Istanbul talks

President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 29 accused Russia of stalling the peace process by failing to deliver a promised negotiations memorandum, warning international partners that Moscow is trying to deceive those still relying on diplomacy over pressure.

"Even the so-called memorandum they promised and claimed to be preparing for more than a week — no one has seen it," Zelensky said. "Ukraine hasn't received it. Our partners haven't received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, hasn’t received the updated agenda."

Russia's Foreign Ministry previously claimed its delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, would present the ceasefire framework at the June 2 talks, proposed by Moscow.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed on May 29 that the same Russian delegation, led by Medinsky, will attend the new round of peace talks in Istanbul.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has already shared its position paper with Russia.

Speaking after a high-level meeting with Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and presidential chief of staff Andrii Yermak, Zelensky said Ukraine is maintaining daily coordination with allies ahead of another round of talks in Istanbul.

Zelensky called for renewed international pressure on Russia, saying, "Words don't work with Moscow. They are doing everything to make these meetings meaningless. That is why sanctions and real pressure on Russia are essential."

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country hosted the May 16 negotiations, said Ankara expects Ukrainian and Russian positions to come closer.

"If there's a diplomatic achievement here, it's not just thanks to Turkish diplomacy, but to the fact that both sides have been willing to talk and that these talks have led to tangible outcomes," Fidan said on his way to Kyiv, where he is expected to meet Sybiha and Zelensky.

‘Shooting Russia in the back’ — Serbian companies supplying ammunition to Ukraine, Moscow claims

“The Serbian defense industry is trying to shoot Russia in the back,” Russian foreign intelligence (SVR) claimed.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek

Russia amassed enough troops to attack Ukraine's Sumy Oblast, Border Guard warns

Russia has concentrated a sufficient amount of forces in Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an attack on Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on May 29.

The statement comes amid warnings of a new possible Russian offensive this summer as U.S.-mediated peace efforts have failed to produce a ceasefire deal.

Russia has become increasingly active in Sumy Oblast after mostly pushing out Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian authorities recently confirmed that Russian forces captured four Sumy Oblast villages close to the border: Novenke, Zhuravka, Veselivka, and Basivka.

Speaking on national television, Demchenko said Russia began amassing forces when it attempted to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched its operation in August 2024.

Russia continues to maintain a force in Kursk Oblast, and Ukraine periodically detects a "certain change in the number of both soldiers and equipment in this area," the spokesperson said.

Russia "has enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine," he continued.

The remarks came days after President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is accumulating 50,000 troops near Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast, seeking to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone in the area.

Infighting around EU rearmament undermines grand ambitions for European defense

Despite grand plans, the European Union’s hoped-for rearmament remains fully dependent on member nations stepping up their own defenses. In March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced an 800-million-euro “Rearm Europe” plan to build out a defense architecture that has depended on the U.S. since the

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

Next Ramstein summit to take place on June 4 in Brussels

The upcoming Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in the Ramstein format will be held on June 4 in Brussels under the chairmanship of the U.K. and Germany, NATO announced on May 29.

The Ramstein summit will take place as Washington is trying to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia to end Moscow's full-scale war.

In the meantime, Russia is amassing forces for a new offensive against Ukraine while continuing its attacks on civilians across the country, straining Ukrainian air defenses.

The last Ramstein-format meeting took place in Brussels on April 11 under the chairmanship of London and Berlin — a position previously held by the U.S.

Leadership over Ramstein transitioned following the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

During the previous meeting, NATO allies committed more than 21 billion euros ($23.8 billion) in long-term military aid to Ukraine.

The move came amid growing uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine and efforts by European allies to close the gap as Kyiv resists Russia's ongoing war.

Note from the author:

Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community.

Editor’s note: The story was updated to include a statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 29 accused Russia of stalling the peace process by failing to deliver a promised negotiations memorandum, warning international partners that Moscow is trying to deceive those still relying on diplomacy over pressure.

“Even the so-called memorandum they promised and claimed to be preparing for more than a week — no one has seen it,” Zelensky said. “Ukraine hasn’t received it. Our partners haven’t received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, hasn’t received the updated agenda."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry previously claimed its delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, would present the ceasefire framework at the June 2 talks, proposed by Moscow.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed on May 29 that the same Russian delegation, led by Medinsky, will attend the new round of peace talks in Istanbul.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has already shared its position paper with Russia.

Speaking after a high-level meeting with Umerov, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and presidential chief of staff Andrii Yermak, Zelensky said Ukraine is maintaining daily coordination with allies ahead of another round of talks in Istanbul.

Zelensky called for renewed international pressure on Russia, saying, “Words don’t work with Moscow. They are doing everything to make these meetings meaningless. That is why sanctions and real pressure on Russia are essential."

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, whose country hosted the May 16 negotiations, said Ankara expects Ukrainian and Russian positions to come closer.

“If there’s a diplomatic achievement here, it’s not just thanks to Turkish diplomacy, but to the fact that both sides have been willing to talk and that these talks have led to tangible outcomes,” Fidan said on his way to Kyiv, where he is expected to meet Sybiha and Zelensky.

Before his visit to Kyiv, Fidan met with Medinsky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Fidan said that during the visit, Turkey shared its vision of realistic conditions that could help make a ceasefire attainable.

“We conveyed Turkey’s determined efforts in this matter to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, the chief negotiator, Foreign Minister Lavrov, and the intelligence chief. As a key regional actor, Turkey has shared its perspective on the realistic parameters that could make a ceasefire achievable,” Fidan said.

He also added that Russia’s current demands for a ceasefire are putting Moscow in “a relatively weaker position."

"(U.S. President Donald) Trump expressed a firm desire to see an immediate ceasefire. This encouraged Ukraine and Europe to align more flexibly with the U.S. stance. However, Russia did not show the same flexibility, which has placed it in a relatively weaker position in the eyes of both the U.S. and other proponents of the ceasefire,” he said

Russia has repeatedly claimed that it would agree on a ceasefire in case the so-called “root causes” of war in Ukraine are addressed, meaning its long-standing maximalist demands of Kyiv — the same ones it has voiced since the start of the full-scale invasion and has used as propaganda to justify its aggression against Ukraine.

Among them, Moscow insists Kyiv withdraw from four partially occupied Ukrainian regions it claims to have annexed.

Russia’s memorandum also reportedly includes a written pledge that NATO will not expand further eastward, effectively blocking Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova from joining, as well as the lifting of some Western sanctions, resolution of frozen Russian assets, and “the protection of Russian-speaking Ukrainians."

Ukraine sends ceasefire memo, urges Russia to respond ahead of June 2 peace talks, Umerov says

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on May 28 that Kyiv is still awaiting the Russian side’s proposed ceasefire memorandum, which was expected following peace talks in Turkey earlier this month.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Russia has tripled its projected budget deficit for 2025 amid a sharp drop in oil revenues, driven by Western sanctions and plunging crude prices, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s commissioner for sanctions policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said on May 29.

According to Vlasiuk, the Kremlin has recently approved changes to its federal budget, increasing the planned deficit from 1.17 trillion rubles ($14.8 billion) to 3.8 trillion rubles ($48.3 billion), or from 0.5% to 1.7% of GDP.

“The reasons? Cheaper oil and a strengthening ruble, which together are slashing oil and gas revenues by nearly a quarter — a loss of 2.6 trillion rubles ($33 billion) from the original forecast,” Vlasiuk wrote in a statement. He pointed to a revised price forecast for Russia’s Urals crude, cut from $69.70 to $56 per barrel.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Urals and ESPO crude blends dropped to $48.90 per barrel — the lowest level in two years and about 40% below the $82.60 price Moscow had initially budgeted for 2025.

Vlasiuk said international sanctions remain a key driver behind the decline in Russia’s energy revenues. “Sanctions against Russia are working,” he said. “This is confirmed by many indicators, and we are grateful for all the work that has already been done."

Ukraine has long been advocating for tighter sanctions against the Russian energy sector, particularly its shadow fleet. Despite hundreds of Russian tankers already under sanctions, many vessels remain operational and continue to ship Russian oil.

“Half of the sanctioned shadow fleet is still functioning,” Vlasiuk said, calling for expanded measures — including sanctions on Russian ports, terminals, and even individual ship captains.

Russia’s energy sector, which provided nearly 30% of the federal budget in early 2024, has been hit by drone strikes from Ukraine and increasing global pressure. The recent plunge in prices followed new tariffs announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on April 7, which spurred fears of a global recession and dragged oil prices to their lowest levels since May 2023.

Speaking on May 5, Trump claimed that Russia had become more willing to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine due to falling oil prices. “I think Russia, with the price of oil right now, oil has gone down, we are in a good position to settle, they want to settle. Ukraine wants to settle,” he told reporters.

The financial strain comes as Moscow boosts defense spending by 25% for 2025, raising it to 6.3% of GDP — the highest share since the Cold War. The Kremlin has acknowledged the challenges, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling the global market conditions “extremely turbulent” and vowing economic measures to “minimize the consequences."

For Ukraine, Vlasiuk said the latest data sends a clear message: “We are grateful for all the work done so far… But if we want to level up, more needs to be done."

The U.S. recently blocked a G7 push to lower the $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil exports, the Financial Times reported on May 27. The cap, imposed by the G7 and EU in December 2022, bars Western firms from servicing Russian oil sold above that price to limit Moscow’s war funding.

While Canada, the EU, and key G7 members supported tightening the cap, the proposal was dropped after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent withheld support. The European Commission had reportedly planned to propose cutting the cap to $50.

Sanctions on Russia are working, Ukraine just needs more

Sanctions on their own won’t end the war, but they are a crucial tool in the West’s efforts to pressure Putin.

The Kyiv IndependentDominic Culverwell

A so-called “Trump shock” has plunged Europe into its deepest crisis since 1945, but also presents an opportunity for the continent to forge a “new West,” British historian and commentator Timothy Garton Ash has said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent.

The first months of Trump’s presidency dispelled any illusions in European capitals that the long-held transatlantic partnership would hold firm no matter who sits in the White House.

Washington has signaled reduced military presence in Europe and slashed funding for vital programs promoting democracy and human rights across the continent, putting the U.S.’s role as the leader of the free world in doubt.

Amid perhaps the greatest challenge to Europe’s security, Trump also seems to be washing his hands of the Russia-Ukraine war without even attempting to exert additional pressure on Moscow or boost Kyiv’s fighting chance.

The “Trump shock” is only accumulating the security challenges facing Europe in what may be its deepest crisis since World War II, Ash told the Kyiv Independent during an interview in Lviv on May 16.

Yet, therein also lies an opportunity for European leaders to forge a “new West” that would preserve what’s left of the liberal world order amid rising authoritarianism and populism, he adds.

Reflecting on world events since his last interview with the Kyiv Independent in May 2024, Ash admits that the U.S. may never be what it was. But, drawing on his background as a historian, he notes that history is full of examples of swings between surging authoritarianism, and a successful liberal fight-back.

Editor’s note: The interview has been edited for clarity.

The Kyiv Independent: Last time we talked, you said that we are at the beginning of a new era, and our first steps are going to shape what this new era looks like. One year later, Donald Trump has been elected U.S. president, he jump started major changes in the global security order, Russia’s war against Ukraine continues, and populism is rising across Europe. How would you evaluate these first steps of the new era?

Timothy Garton Ash: The triple shock: the Putin shock, what I call the Xi Jinping shock, and now the Trump shock means that we are in the deepest crisis Europe has been in for a very long time, in some respects, since 1945.

But it also means that we all know that in Europe.

Last Friday (May 9), while Xi Jinping and President Lula (of Brazil) and (Prime Minister) Robert Fico of Slovakia were sitting with Vladimir Putin on Red Square, EU foreign ministers were sitting in the Lviv City Hall just up the road to show their solidarity with Ukraine.

And then (French) President Emmanuel Macron, (German) Chancellor Friedrich Mertz, (U.K.) Prime Minister Starmer and (Polish Prime Minister Donald) Tusk were in Kyiv.

So the crisis has become deeper, but the possibility that Europe might seize the opportunity of the crisis is also more apparent.

The Kyiv Independent: Since the end of World War II, the U.S. has cast itself as a leader of the free world. Would you say that it is now abandoning this role? And if so, why now?

Timothy Garton Ash: Excellent question. I think there’s no doubt at all that Donald Trump is not the leader of the free world, whatever that means, and that the West as a geopolitical actor does not exist today in the way we’ve assumed it existed for the last 80 years. And that is a result of two different things: America and Trump.

There’s a long-term trend of the United States becoming less committed to and less engaged in Europe, which started already after the end of the Cold War. It was happening under the Democrats and under the Republicans. It’s turning either to what (Barack) Obama called nation-building at home, or the pivot to Asia.

Then you have the Trump factor, which is this extreme narcissistic bully who obviously has a special relationship with Vladimir Putin and who is abandoning the notion of the United States as a defender of the liberal international order and basically positioning the United States as one transactional great power amongst many.

What does that mean? It means we have a really urgent challenge for the four years of Trump, but we also have a long-term challenge because the United States will never again be what it was before.

The Kyiv Independent: If the U.S. abandons this role and the era of the U.S.-led unipolar world ends, how will the new global security order look?

Timothy Garton Ash: First of all, we never really had a unipolar world. Even the U.S.-led liberal international order was only a large part of the world. It worked because the United States was what the Princeton scholar John Ikenberry calls a "Liberal Leviathan."

The Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO was always a U.S. general. We had the U.S. nuclear guarantee for our security in Europe. We certainly had a U.S. security order in Europe, in significant parts of Asia and in Oceania, Australia, New Zealand.

That's what's now in question. So I believe that if we are to preserve what's left of the liberal international order, which is not a great deal, it's up to us as Europeans, but also other liberal democratic partners.

Suddenly, Canada becomes much more important to us. Australia becomes important to us. Japan becomes important to us. In other words, there's a whole new constellation of liberal international order — if you like, a new West.

The Kyiv Independent: What is Europe's role in the era of weakening transatlantic relations, of rising authoritarianism around the world?

Timothy Garton Ash: First of all, our role is to defend ourselves and to look after what we've achieved in Europe over the last 80 years. That means defending ourselves against external enemies or challenges. Obviously, Vladimir Putin's Russia in the first place, but also China in a different way, and other powers.

Why did Russia invade Ukraine? Debunking Putin’s ‘root causes’ claims

As Russia continues to bombard cities and towns across Ukraine, Russian officials have hardened their position against a ceasefire, continuing to repeat the obscure demand that the war’s “root causes” be addressed before agreeing to any truce. For months, the phrase “root causes” has become a go-to talking point

The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta

Secondly, it would be to try and preserve at least some elements of what we call the liberal international order — for example, a free trading world, an international economic order. The EU is a regulatory superpower. Can we preserve some of those shared regulations around the world?

The Kyiv Independent: How would you evaluate Europe's response so far to these new shocks, specifically to the shock of the Trump administration?

Timothy Garton Ash: I think the political will at the top is now there. The question is capability. Just in purely military terms, there's a short list of things that only the United States can provide — the intelligence, the Patriot interceptor missiles, the strategic enablers.

Beyond that, the political will may be there at the top in Europe, but can our leaders continue to persuade their publics through a whole series of national elections that this is the course we should stick to? We have Viktor Orban as the veto player in Hungary. We have Robert Fico in Slovakia.

Very soon, we will probably have a nationalist president of Romania (The interview took place on May 16, before far-right George Simion was defeated in the Romanian presidential election by pro-EU Nicusor Dan).

According to the current opinion polls, Mr. (Andrej) Babis will probably come back (to power) in the Czech Republic. So suddenly, you've got a whole group of countries that want a very different Ukraine policy and Russia policy.

The Kyiv Independent: How can Europe avoid sliding into populism? How can the continent avoid falling into the same trap as the U.S.?

Timothy Garton Ash: I would say the forces of integration and disintegration in Europe are quite finely balanced at the moment.

We have to be tough on populism and tough on the causes of populism. We have to fight the nationalist populist and make a convincing case to our public for a different approach.

But we also have to understand why they continue to get large numbers of votes. For example, the sense that large parts of our societies have been both economically and culturally neglected in the name of liberalism.

And we need to show that we care, we're actually doing something for them economically, that culturally we don't just care about specific minorities in the name of multiculturalism, but we actually care about everyone in our societies.

It's pretty tough to do those two things at the same time, and also build up our defense spending and our support for Ukraine.

The Kyiv Independent: In your book, Homelands, you talk about different definitions of Europe. You say that some European nations that went through dictatorships see Europe as a sort of community of democratic, liberal ideals that they seek to return to. And that's certainly true for Ukraine, as we've seen during the EuroMaidan Revolution. But if Europe and the West are indeed moving away from these ideals, how will that impact Ukraine's path toward democracy?

Timothy Garton Ash: There's always been an anti-liberal Europe, as well as a liberal Europe throughout European history. And it's always been a great mistake to believe that the liberal Europe has prevailed once and for all. By the way, there are also liberal and anti-liberal forces in Ukraine, let's make no mistake about that.

The two things are intimately connected. It's very difficult to imagine Ukraine making a successful transition to a prosperous, sovereign, democratic European future if Europe is disintegrating next door. It's quite difficult to imagine a successful, liberal, democratic, integrated Europe if Ukraine is disintegrating next door.

Both because of the security and migration challenges, but also because we have, in a way, staked our European reputation now on Ukraine. European integration and Ukrainian integration, or European disintegration and Ukrainian disintegration.

But this won't be decided in the next few months. I would say, let's talk again towards the end of the 2020s, and we'll see which tendencies have prevailed.

The Kyiv Independent: Since we are obviously heading toward even more challenging times, can history give us hope or teach us lessons about how democracy can persevere under these challenges?

Timothy Garton Ash: It's going to give us both hope and warnings.

The warning is that just when everybody takes things for granted, they start going wrong. The analogy there would be Europe before 1914. In a way, Europe — certainly before 2014, but arguably up to 2022 — was assuming that it would just be more peaceful summers.

The hope is that we already have examples of successful liberal fightback. The Polish (2023 parliamentary) election is a classic example of a (country) which had nearly gone in the direction of Hungary and an electoral-authoritarian, non-liberal regime, and then it came back.

The larger lesson is that you have these wave movements in history. We had what I would call a liberal democratic revolution across Europe and much of the world from the early 1970s to the 2000s. Now we have an anti-liberal counter-revolution. But with time, people start discovering that that doesn't deliver either.

In fact, it delivers even less. And if you look at the enormous demonstrations in Serbia, large demonstrations in Hungary in support of an opposition candidate, and in Turkey after the imprisonment of Mr. (Ekrem) Imamoglu, you see that the fightback also comes from the countries that have gone authoritarian.

How much does a Russian drone attack on Ukraine cost? The question is more complicated than it sounds

Beginning overnight on Saturday, May 24, Russia rained down nearly a thousand drones and missiles on villages and cities across Ukraine in three nights of large-scale aerial attacks, as civilians spent hours sheltering underground. Russia’s bombardment killed more than a dozen people and injured dozens more, in one of

The Kyiv IndependentAndrea Januta

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Martin Fornusek. I hope you enjoyed this interview.

To underscore its main points, we are facing one of the most challenging periods in history, and the actions of every one of us matter. Our team strives every day to bring you in-depth insights into Russia's ongoing war and Ukraine's resistance, but we wouldn't be able to do so without the support of readers like you. To help us continue in this work, please consider supporting our reporting.

Thank you very much.

Brian Dooley is a Senior Advisor at Washington-based NGO Human Rights First and Honorary Professor of Practice at Queen’s University, Belfast. He specializes in working with human rights activists in war and other conflict zones and is a regular visitor to Kharkiv. 

For a while this May, international attention was back on Ukraine for the few days of peace talks in Turkey.

It gave self-important commentators all over the world who have never been to Ukraine the chance to share their views on how the war should end, what would be fair terms for a settlement, and how much territory Russia should keep.

Social media, newspapers, radio, and TV shows in Western Europe and the United States were full of these uninformed opinions. Few of those discussing Ukraine have ever been there, fewer still to the eastern front to see the reality of what three — or eleven — years of constant Russian attacks look like up close.

There is a much-ignored old journalism rule that says when a place is in the news, Unless You’re From There, Live There, Or Have Spent Years Writing About It, you really should think twice about offering an opinion.

I know I barely qualify — I’ve made 19 trips to Ukraine since the full-scale invasion of February 2022 and half a dozen visits before that. In total, I’ve spent around seven months of the last three years in Ukraine, mostly in Kharkiv. It doesn’t make me an expert, but I get some sense of how distorted and ignorant many international views are of the eastern front.

Kharkiv is largely a blind spot for foreign diplomats and international NGOs. Few people from embassies visit, citing security concerns. When I complain to diplomats about them not going to Kharkiv, they wring their hands and say, “But we’re not allowed to.”

But these governments and other organizations are making a choice not to send their officials to visit Kharkiv and elsewhere in the east. I tell them it’s not hard, that several trains a day leave from Kyiv to Kharkiv. But — with some notable exceptions — the oblast is routinely ignored, and so what is happening there just isn’t seen or appreciated.

This issue hit a nerve during the February 28 White House press conference when President Trump and Vice-President Vance ambushed President Zelenskyy. “Have you ever been to Ukraine to see the problems we have?” an exasperated Zelenskyy asked Vance who, of course, has never seen firsthand what’s happening in Ukraine. 

As Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov says, “We have many people supporting us, but they do not have the courage to come to Kharkiv.” Nothing beats the eyewitness experience, of seeing what’s left of Kupiansk now, of what towns and villages look like after Russian occupation, of how volunteers across the Kharkiv city and region are providing humanitarian aid despite a severe lack of resources.

If international organisations and foreign diplomats went to Kharkiv, they would see for themselves what’s being done, and how these activists deserve to be funded and protected. They would see how much local energy is focused on helping the vulnerable, how volunteer evacuation teams risk their lives every day to get civilians from the frontline, how people are devoting their days to helping others. 

This isn’t what British Prime Minister Starmer, French President Macron, German Chancellor Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Tusk got to see on their day trip to Kyiv before the Istanbul talks, but this is the reality for many in the east of Ukraine.

Much international media analysis rarely goes beyond what’s happening at a political level in Kyiv or beyond personal theories of what a peace deal should look like.

God save Kharkiv from armchair experts in the West who think “the reality” is that Russia should be rewarded for its invasions of Ukraine, that Ukrainians should “face facts,” and that Russia should get to keep the territories it illegally occupies.

It’s time they got off their asses, got on some buses and trains, listened to locals in Kharkiv, and saw the truth for themselves.

Opinion pieces reflect the thoughts of their authors and do not reflect Gwara Media’s views.

Read more

• “To believe Russia is to disrespect yourself.” Military in Kharkiv Oblast on Russia once again violating ceasefire they declared
• Kremlin propaganda finds voice in Europe’s alternative media. Ukraine shares experience in how to counter it

The post Opinion: God save Kharkiv from armchair experts in the West appeared first on Gwara Media.

NATO wants Germany to contribute seven more brigades, or roughly 40,000 troops, to boost collective defense against Russia, Bloomberg and Reuters reported on May 28, citing their sources.

The news comes amid mounting tensions between the alliance and Russia and an increasingly uncertain U.S. commitment to European security.

The alliance’s overall demand for the number of brigades provided by member states could go from 80 to between 120 and 130, an undisclosed senior official told Reuters.

Germany agreed to provide 10 brigades to NATO by 2030. It currently fields nine brigades — each comprising around 5,000 soldiers — including one new formation stationed in Lithuania.

Though no firm date for implementing the changes has been set, 2030 has been mentioned as a preferred deadline, Bloomberg reported.

Allied defense ministers are expected to discuss the matter during a meeting in Brussels next week.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted European countries to hike defense spending in order to revive their military capabilities, which atrophied after decades of disarmament following the Cold War.

The matter gained more urgency after signals that the U.S., the most powerful military in NATO, plans to scale down its presence in Europe as President Donald Trump shifts strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific region.

Ukrainian foreign intelligence (SZRU) chief Oleh Ivashchenko recently warned that Russia will be able to replenish its forces between two and four years after the war in Ukraine, allowing it to launch aggression against Europe.

If Germany sends Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Russia has a major Crimean Bridge problem

Latest: Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced A statement from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on May 26 about long-range strikes inside Russia resurrected a long-held hope in Ukraine — that Berlin is finally about to send Kyiv its Taurus missiles. “There are no

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

Russia has concentrated a sufficient amount of forces in Kursk Oblast to potentially launch an attack on Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andrii Demchenko said on May 29.

The statement comes amid warnings of a new possible Russian offensive this summer as U.S.-mediated peace efforts have failed to produce a ceasefire deal.

Russia has become increasingly active in Sumy Oblast after mostly pushing out Ukrainian forces from Kursk Oblast. Ukrainian authorities recently confirmed that Russian forces captured four Sumy Oblast villages close to the border: Novenke, Zhuravka, Veselivka, and Basivka.

Speaking on national television, Demchenko said Russia began amassing forces when it attempted to push Ukrainian troops out of Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine launched its operation in August 2024.

Russia continues to maintain a force in Kursk Oblast, and Ukraine periodically detects a “certain change in the number of both soldiers and equipment in this area,” the spokesperson said.

Russia “has enough forces there (in Kursk Oblast) to carry out operations against our border and attempt to attack the territory of Ukraine,” he continued.

The remarks came days after President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is accumulating 50,000 troops near Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy Oblast, seeking to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone in the area.

According to Kyiv, Russia planned to launch an offensive into Sumy Oblast already back in 2024, but the plan was disrupted by Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk Oblast. Moscow has repeatedly indicated plans to create a buffer zone between Ukraine and Russia in the area.

Trump holds off on sanctions to push Ukraine-Russia peace efforts

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 that he has not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believes a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine may be within reach.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov presented to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Moscow’s “specific proposals” for the next round of peace talks with Ukraine, Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on May 29.

The two diplomats held a phone call on May 28, the day when Russia proposed holding negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2 in a follow-up to the first round on May 16.

Lavrov also “informed Marco Rubio about implementing the May 19 agreements between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the United States Donald Trump,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Trump and Putin held a phone call on May 19, during which the Russian leader again rejected a truce and pushed for maximalist demands, but also voiced his readiness to negotiate a “memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty."

During the call with Lavrov, Rubio stressed Trump’s “intention to quickly bring the Ukraine conflict to an end and expressed Washington’s readiness to help the sides to bring their positions closer together,” according to the Russian readout.

While initially reluctant to criticize Putin, Trump adopted an increasingly critical tone toward the Russian leader in recent days as Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities intensify and the Kremlin continues to reject calls for a ceasefire.

Kyiv and its European partners have urged the U.S. to impose additional sanctions to pressure Moscow to agree to a truce. Trump has refused to take the step so far, saying he is “close to getting a deal” and does not want to “screw it up” by fresh sanctions.

“We’re going to find out very soon. It’ll take about two weeks, or a week and a half,” Trump told reporters this week, responding to a question on whether Putin wants to end the war. He added that Washington would “respond a little bit differently” if it appears that Moscow is stalling.

“They seem to want to do something. But until the document is signed, I can’t tell you… I’m very disappointed at what happened. A couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation."

Russia vowed to present its peace memorandum but has yet to deliver, drawing rebuke from Ukrainian, European, and U.S. officials. Trump has also repeatedly signaled he would exit the peace efforts unless progress is achieved soon.

Reuters reported that Putin’s conditions for ending Russia’s war against Ukraine include a written pledge by NATO not to accept more Eastern European members, lifting of some sanctions, and Ukraine’s neutral status, among other demands.

Ukraine war latest: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul

* Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul * Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war * 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak’s advisor says * ‘We’ll know in two weeks’ if Putin serious

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Telegram and Elon Musk’s xAI will enter a one-year partnership, integrating the Grok chatbot into the messaging app, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced on May 28.

Musk, the world’s richest man who also owns Tesla and SpaceX, commented that “no deal has been signed,” prompting Durov to clarify that the deal has been agreed in “principle” with “formalities pending."

“This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market,” Durov said.

"Elon Musk and I have agreed to a one-year partnership to bring xAI’s chatbot Grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps."

The announcement comes as Musk announces his exit from his role in the Trump administration to focus on his business ventures, many of which saw their profits drop in the past few months.

Musk founded xAI in 2023, and earlier this year, another of his ventures, X Corp., which operates the X social platform, acquired the AI company. Grok is xAI’s flagship project and has already been integrated into X.

Musk’s takeover of X saw the social platform, formerly known as Twitter, become the leading source of disinformation, EU officials said. The Grok chatbot also faced scrutiny recently after posting unprompted comments on the topic of so-called “white genocide” in South Africa, Musk’s home country.

Durov, the Russian-born founder of Telegram, currently resides in Dubai and holds Russian, Emirati, and French citizenship. He is under investigation in France for criminal activity on his messaging app.

Durov has claimed he is a pariah and has been effectively exiled from Russia, but it was reported last year that he had visited Russia over 60 times since leaving the country, according to Kremlingram, a Ukrainian group that campaigns against the use of Telegram in Ukraine.

Telegram remains one of the most popular social media platforms among Ukrainians. A September 2023 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that 44% of Ukrainians use Telegram to receive information and news.

Ukrainian officials have warned about security risks associated with using Telegram, leading to restrictions on its use by civil servants and politicians.

Trump holds off on sanctions to push Ukraine-Russia peace efforts

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 that he has not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believes a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine may be within reach.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova

A U.S. federal court overturned on May 28 President Donald Trump’s tariffs on dozens of countries, including those affecting trade with Ukraine, according to the U.S. Court of International Trade’s ruling.

Trump announced a new sweeping tariff policy on April 2 as part of what he called “Liberation Day,” framing the tariff regime as a bid to revitalize U.S. manufacturing and fight back against foreign exploitation.

Ukraine was hit with a 10% blanket tariff on its exports, lower than the 20% imposed on the European Union. Increased rates targeted countries where the U.S. has the largest trade deficits, notably China.

Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and Cuba were not included.

The court ruled that the federal law allowing the president to impose tariffs, embargoes, and sanctions during national emergencies “does not authorize the president to impose unbounded tariffs.”

The ruling cited the U.S. Constitution, saying that it grants Congress sole authority over international trade, which is not superseded by the president’s emergency economic powers.

The court struck down the 10% tariffs applied to all U.S. trading partners to address the trade deficit, along with Trump’s proposed “reciprocal” tariffs of 20–50% on over 60 countries. This move means that the court would also block tariffs on trade with Ukraine.

Additionally, the court overturned Trump’s executive orders imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods and a 20% tariff on Chinese goods.

A 10% blanket tariff on its exports was still a setback for a country at war. Kyiv’s metallurgy sector, a major source of Ukrainian exports to the U.S., was already impacted by a 25% tariff imposed in March.

In 2023, Ukrainian exports to the U.S. totaled just $874 million, while imports from the U.S. reached $3.4 billion. The overall trade volume has declined in recent years, but the tariffs could deepen the imbalance, especially if they trigger broader protectionist measures globally.

Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s Economy Minister, called the U.S. tariffs announced in early April “difficult, but not critical,” saying Kyiv remained focused on long-term economic resilience and international cooperation.

Ukraine war latest: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul

* Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul * Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war * 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak’s advisor says * ‘We’ll know in two weeks’ if Putin serious

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Elon Musk announced on May 29 that his time as a special government employee in the Trump administration is coming to an end, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for the “opportunity to reduce wasteful spending."

The billionaire, who oversaw the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) massive layoffs and cuts across government agencies, said the department’s mission will continue.

“The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government,” Musk wrote on his social platform X.

The later days of Musk’s 130-day tenure, which is set to conclude on May 30, were accompanied by growing tensions between the world’s richest man and senior members of the Trump administration, reportedly including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Musk also criticized a massive Trump-backed domestic policy bill passed by the Republicans in the House of Representatives last week, saying the legislation “increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing."

A White House official confirmed to Reuters that the owner of Tesla, X, and SpaceX is departing the administration. His exit, described as quick and unceremonious, was reportedly decided on a senior staff level and without a conversation with Trump, who previously repeatedly praised the billionaire.

The businessman was one of the most visible figures of Trump’s election campaign and the early days of his administration, leading the effort to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S.’s chief foreign aid agency.

USAID was vital in providing humanitarian relief worldwide and funded thousands of programs supporting human rights, democracy, education, civil society, and infrastructure development.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, USAID has provided Ukraine with $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support, helping to rebuild schools after Russian attacks, pay for bomb shelters, advanced medical equipment for hospitals and much more.

Musk eventually scaled down his public presence amid dropping popularity ratings and slumping Tesla profits.

The businessman has also been vocal on the Russia-Ukraine war. While initially declaring support for the invaded country and providing his Starlink satellite communications to Ukraine, he gradually adopted pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian talking points.

Musk spread narratives that President Volodymyr Zelensky has minimal support in the country, despite numerous polls showing otherwise, and accused the Ukrainian president of perpetuating a “never-ending draft meat grinder."

The billionaire has also repeatedly campaigned against military aid for Kyiv, claiming it only prolongs the war.

Trump admits to protecting Russia from ‘really bad things’ during Ukraine peace talks

Trump’s comments come amid growing pressure on the U.S. administration to respond to escalating Russian attacks.

The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy

Approximately 800 remaining full-time Voice of America (VOA) employees are expected to receive a notice of termination this week amid the Trump administration’s funding cuts, Politico reported on May 28, citing four VOA employees.

On March 15, Trump administration officials gutted funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA.

In an email obtained by the Kyiv Independent in March, employees at VOA were instructed “not to enter USAGM premises” nor “access USAGM systems.” Over 1,300 journalists, producers and support staff working at VOA were also placed on administrative leave.

A senior VOA employee told Politico that USAGM-led layoffs would likely affect all staff, effectively shuttering operations. Earlier this month on May 15, about 600 contractors working for VOA received termination notices.

VOA was founded in 1942, broadcasting in almost 50 languages around the world.

Amid attempts by journalists to overturn the decision to gut funding, a U.S. federal judge on April 22 ordered the Trump administration to restore all employees and contractors at VOA, saying the administration’s efforts to dismantle the outlet likely violated U.S. law.

Last week, a federal appeals court overturned the decision, deciding that it would not intervene in the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the long-standing network.

Trump has long criticized U.S.-funded media organization, criticizing them over their coverage of the U.S. president, and often referring to them as “fake news."

Trump’s crackdown against VOA has been celebrated by Russian propagandists, who welcomed the cuts to the network.

Ukraine war latest: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul

* Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul * Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war * 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak’s advisor says * ‘We’ll know in two weeks’ if Putin serious

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 that he has not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believes a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine may be within reach.

“If I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up by doing that,” he told reporters, adding that he is “much tougher” than those he is negotiating with.

Trump said the United States would soon learn whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is genuinely interested in ending the war. If it becomes clear that Moscow is stalling, Trump warned, Washington would “respond a little bit differently.”

CNN reported on May 27 that Trump is weighing new sanctions on Russia after a deadly weekend of missile and drone strikes across Ukraine. Russian forces on May 26 conducted what Ukrainian authorities described as the largest drone attack of the full-scale war, reportedly involving 355 Shahed-type drones and decoys.

During a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 19, Trump was told that a “memorandum of peace” outlining conditions for a ceasefire would be delivered shortly. As of May 27, no such document has been received, a U.S. official and a White House source familiar with the matter told CNN.

Responding to a question on whether Putin is serious about peace, Trump said that “We’re going to find out very soon. It’ll take about two weeks, or week and a half.”

“They seem to want to do something. But until the document is signed, I can’t tell you… I’m very disappointed at what happened. A couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation.”

Trump added that he would be willing to meet both President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Putin “if necessary.”

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow had proposed a new round of peace talks with Ukraine to be held in Istanbul on June 2.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Kyiv is still awaiting the Russian side’s proposed ceasefire memorandum, which was expected following peace talks in Turkey earlier this month. The Ukrainian side has presented their document to Russia, according to the minister.

Ukraine war latest: Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul

* Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul * Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war * 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak’s advisor says * ‘We’ll know in two weeks’ if Putin serious

The Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

• Moscow proposes next round of Russia-Ukraine talks on June 2 in Istanbul
• Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war
• 11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak's advisor says
• 'We'll know in two weeks' if Putin serious about ending war, Trump says
• Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced

Moscow has proposed June 2 as the date for the next round of talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a press conference.

In his remarks, Lavrov said the talks would be a continuation of the process launched during earlier negotiations on May 16 in Istanbul.

"In Istanbul, it was agreed that Moscow and Kyiv would prepare documents setting out the positions of each side to reach a sustainable resolution," Lavrov said. "The Russian side, as agreed, promptly drafted a corresponding memorandum, which lays out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis."

Under the guise of so-called "root causes," Russia has repeatedly reiterated its long-standing maximalist demands of Ukraine — the same ones it has voiced since the start of the full-scale invasion and has used as propaganda to justify its aggression against Ukraine.

Among them, Moscow insists Kyiv withdraw from four partially occupied Ukrainian regions it claims to have annexed.

Russia's memorandum also reportedly includes a written pledge that NATO will not expand further eastward, effectively blocking Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova from joining, as well as the lifting of some Western sanctions, resolution of frozen Russian assets, and "the protection of Russian-speaking Ukrainians."

Lavrov added that the Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, is prepared to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian side and provide necessary clarifications during the second round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.

EU announces new Black Sea security strategy to counter Russian threats, top diplomat says

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas proposed creating a Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, envisioned as an early warning and monitoring system that would enhance situational awareness and protect key infrastructure.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

Ukrainian drones hit Russian cruise missile factory, SBU source says, in one of largest reported strikes of full-scale war

Ukrainian long-range drones hit the Raduga enterprise in the town of Dubna in Moscow Oblast, which produces cruise missiles, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on May 28.

The drones also successfully struck the Kronstadt drone enterprise in the same town, the Angstrem microelectronics plant in Zelenograd in Moscow Oblast, and the Dmitrievsky Chemical Plant in Ivanovo Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.

Ukrainian drones bypassed Russian air defenses near Raduga and hit the assembly and outfitting workshops of the plant, which were still on fire as of 3 p.m. local time, the source said.

The factory, located 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Moscow, produces Kh-101/555, Kh-69, and Kh-59MK missiles used in attacks against Ukraine. The Raduga enterprise is a part of the Tactical Missile Defense Corporation.

Earlier in the day, independent news channel Astra reported that drones attacked the Kronstadt drone facility, publishing videos shot by local residents showing a drone flying over the city. The videos also show smoke rising above the area where the enterprise is located.

The Kronstadt facility specializes in the production of Orion, Molniya, Grom, and other drones, according to the Ukrainian military.

Ukrainian Security Service charges captured Russian soldier with executing POWs

According to the SBU, the soldier, a rifleman with Russia’s 40th Separate Marine Brigade, participated in the point-blank shooting of two detained Ukrainian servicemen on Jan. 9 near Kursk.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir

11 more Ukrainian Children rescued from Russian-occupied territories, Yermak's advisor says

Eleven more Ukrainian children have been successfully returned from Russian-occupied territories as part of the national "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, Daria Zarivna, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and head of the project, said on May 28.

Among those rescued is a young girl whose mother and brother, both defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, spent more than three years in Russian captivity.

"All this time, the mother did not know whether she would ever see her children again. During the exchange, she met her son on the bus, and today she was finally able to hug her little girl," Zarivna said.

Another boy was reunited with his father and brother, both Ukrainian soldiers. The father has been serving on the front lines, while the brother had also been held in Russian captivity for over three years.

Zarivna also said a teenage boy who had been orphaned was rescued from Russian forces. The child had been kidnapped from his school, held in a basement, tortured, and nearly conscripted into the Russian army days before his 18th birthday.

The operation is the latest in a series of rescue missions under Bring Kids Back UA, a national initiative launched by Zelensky to coordinate the return of children abducted during Russia's full-scale invasion.

'We'll know in two weeks' if Putin serious about ending war, Trump says

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 the U.S. would soon know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, warning that if Moscow is stalling, Washington would "respond a little bit differently."

Trump said his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is currently negotiating with Russian side, claiming he "is doing a phenomenal job."

"We're going to find out very soon. It'll take about two weeks, or week and a half,” Trump told reporters during a briefing, responding to a question on whether Putin wants to end the war.

"They seem to want to do something. But until the document is signed, I can't tell you... I'm very disappointed at what happened. A couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation." Trump did not clarify which document he was referring to.

Trump said he disapproved of Russia's recent missile attacks on Ukrainian cities during ongoing diplomatic efforts. "That's no good. We're not going to allow it," he said.

If Germany sends Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Russia has a major Crimean Bridge problem

Latest: Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced A statement from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on May 26 about long-range strikes inside Russia resurrected a long-held hope in Ukraine — that Berlin is finally about to send Kyiv its Taurus missiles. “There are no

The Kyiv IndependentKollen Post

Germany pledges 5 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine, no Taurus missiles announced

Germany has unveiled a military aid package for Ukraine worth 5 billion euros ($5.65 billion), the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement on May 28 after Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Volodymyr Zelensky met in Berlin.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov signed the accord in Berlin's Bendlerblock, the headquarters of the German Defense Ministry. The agreement includes direct German investments in Ukraine's defense industry and a broader treaty between Kyiv and German arms manufacturers.

Under the new agreement, Germany will help fund the production of long-range weapons systems inside Ukraine — tapping into the country's existing industrial capacities and technical expertise, the statement read.

German Defense Ministry said a significant number of these systems are expected to be manufactured by the end of 2025, with the first batch ready for deployment in the coming weeks. Since these systems are already in service with the Ukrainian military, no additional training is needed for their use.

Berlin also reaffirmed its commitment to supply Ukraine with critical ammunition and weapons. The arms heading Kyiv's way include air defense systems, artillery, systems of land weapons and handguns. No Taurus missiles were publicly announced as part of the package.

The meeting between Merz and Zelensky in Berlin was preceded by speculation that Germany would finally reverse its long-held policy of not sending Taurus missiles to Kyiv over fears of escalating the war against Russia.

Note from the author:

Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, join the Kyiv Independent community.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 28 the U.S. would soon know whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is serious about ending the war in Ukraine, warning that if Moscow is stalling, Washington would “respond a little bit differently."

Trump said his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is currently negotiating with Russian side, claiming he “is doing a phenomenal job.”

“We’re going to find out very soon. It’ll take about two weeks, or week and a half,” Trump told reporters during a briefing, responding to a question on whether Putin wants to end the war.

“They seem to want to do something. But until the document is signed, I can’t tell you… I’m very disappointed at what happened. A couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation.” Trump did not clarify which document he was referring to.

Trump said he disapproved of Russia’s recent missile attacks on Ukrainian cities during ongoing diplomatic efforts. “That’s no good. We’re not going to allow it,” he said.

For three consecutive days over May 24-26, Russia launched a series of mass drone and missile attacks at Ukrainian cities.

On May 26, Russia carried out the biggest drone attack of the full-scale war, which reportedly involved 355 Shahed-type attack drones and decoys.

Trump also suggested he would be open to personally meeting both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin “if necessary.”  

Earlier on May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Moscow proposed a new round of peace talks with Ukraine take place in Istanbul on June 2.

Lavrov claimed Russia is prepared to present a memorandum detailing what he called “the root causes of the crisis” — widely understood to refer to the Kremlin’s longstanding demands and propaganda used to justify its 2022 invasion.

During the first round of Istanbul talks on May 16, Ukraine offered a 30-day ceasefire, a full prisoner swap, and a summit between the two presidents. Russia rejected the proposal and sent a low-level delegation instead. The only agreement reached was a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange that was concluded on May 25.

US won’t support Russia’s demand for Ukraine’s withdrawal from 4 regions, Zelensky says

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 27 that he does not believe the U.S. would support a full Ukrainian withdrawal from four of its partially occupied regions, a demand repeatedly raised by Russia, Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek