Russia, Ukraine Agree to Prisoner Exchange in Istanbul
At brief peace talks mediated by Turkish officials, Russia and Ukraine agreed to return heavily wounded and ill prisoners as well as those under the age of twenty-five; the two parties also exchanged memos that revealed a large gap in their demands for ending the war (NYT)
According to a document seen by the Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s proposals included security guarantees that would block Russia from “repeating its aggression,” a continued path toward joining the European Union, future NATO membership if there is consensus in the alliance, and the return of abducted children and civilian captives held by Russia (Kyiv Independent)
In its position paper, published by Russian media, Russia called for international recognition of four Ukrainian regions it claims as its own, and a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from those areas; a reduction in the size of Ukraine’s military; a designation of Russian as the official language of Ukraine; and a formal commitment to Ukrainian neutrality (Reuters)
Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would continue its attacks unless Russia stops its own offensive (ABC News)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he planned to organize a summit that included the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and the United States; Zelenskyy said he and Erdoğan discussed a late June or early July date for the meeting (FT)
The Russian Ministry of Defense said Ukraine struck airbases in five regions, while Ukraine’s Security Service claimed it struck over forty Russian bombers in one of Kyiv’s most audacious operations of the war (NYT)
Meanwhile, Russia launched the largest number of drones at Ukraine since its full-scale invasion of the country in 2022; earlier in the day, Ukraine announced twelve of its soldiers were killed in a Russian missile attack on an army training unit (NPR)
Additionally, two bridges collapsed in the western region of Russia bordering Ukraine, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more; it remains unclear whether the incidents were related or what the exact causes of them were (CNN)
Russia Advances in Ukraine
Russian forces have accelerated their territorial advances in Ukraine in recent weeks as U.S.-brokered peace negotiations continue, capturing an average of 5.5 square miles per day this month—more than double the rate in April, according to a Ukrainian war monitor with links to the country’s military (NYT)
Ahead of potential talks on Monday, the acting U.S. envoy to the UN Security Council said that Moscow should accept a proposal for a thirty-day ceasefire and that “the deal on offer now is Russia’s best possible outcome” (Reuters)
In addition to ground advances, Russia in recent days has been carrying out aerial bombardments on a scale not seen since the start of the war; Russia substantially increased its drone production through a deal with Iran to produce Iranian-designed drones within Russia, according to a new report by Washington-based research group C4ADS (WaPo)
Meanwhile, three unnamed Russian sources told Reuters that Russian President Vladimir Putin sought a written pledge that NATO would not expand eastward, as well as sanctions removal, as part of conditions for ending the war; the Kremlin did not comment (Reuters)
Russian Troops Massing on Border With Northeastern Ukraine
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said over fifty thousand Russian troops are massing on the border of northeastern Ukraine near Sumy in preparation for a large-scale summer offensive; Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine had conducted an incursion and occupied territory before being pushed out last month (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Germany pledged $5.7 billion in new military support for Ukraine, including joint production of long-range missiles on Ukrainian soil; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced the commitments during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Berlin (CNN)
Separately, Ukraine said it would meet Russia for the next round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, but only if Russia shared a position memo ahead of time (WaPo)
Trump’s Warning to Putin
U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that Russian President Vladimir Putin was “playing with fire” and that without Trump, “lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia” (WSJ)
The White House and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have coordinated on a bill to further sanction Russia, Graham wrote in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
Russia Launches Around Nine Hundred Drones on Ukraine Over Weekend
The United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have all lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of weapons inside Russia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said (Reuters;Politico)
Trump Would Consider Sanctioning Russia
He also wrote on social media that Russian President Vladimir Putin had gone “CRAZY” (NPR)
The Kremlin dismissed Trump’s comments as “emotional” (BBC)
Trump Says Russia, Ukraine Will “Immediately” Begin Negotiations on Ceasefire and Peace Deal
After speaking separately with both leaders, he suggested the United States would only have an indirect role in the talks, writing in a social media post that the two warring parties would be at the forefront (Truth Social)
Trump’s post did not threaten punitive measures against Russia if the peace effort fails; instead, he touted trade opportunities for both Russia and Ukraine if it succeeds (FT)
Trump spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy both before and after a long call with Russian President Vladimir Putin (WSJ)
On the second call with Zelenskyy, leaders of the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, and Italy also joined (Axios)
The European Union and the United Kingdom, for their part, adopted new sanctions on Russia after the calls (Reuters)
Russia Launches Its Largest Overnight Drone Attack Since Start of War
The drones targeted the central Kyiv region and Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine; one woman died (BBC)
Zelenskyy met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome (CBS/AP)
Russian and Ukrainian Delegations Meet in Istanbul for Talks
Ahead of the lower-level Russia-Ukraine talks today—the first time delegations from the two countries have met since 2022—Trump said that “nothing’s going to happen” until he meets directly with Putin (FT)
Zelenksyy Arrives in Turkey, While Putin Stays Away
Zelenskyy said the lower-level delegation that Moscow planned to send to the scheduled Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul looked like a “theater prop” (Guardian)
Putin suggested the talks over the weekend as a counterproposal to a ceasefire, and U.S. President Donald Trump had encouraged Zelenskyy to attend (Reuters)
While Zelenskyy and Trump previously both said they were open to attending the talks, Trump backed out after Putin said that he would skip them (FT)
A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said today that Moscow’s position had changed since June 2024, when Putin said that Ukraine must withdraw troops from all four regions claimed by Russia (Reuters)
NATO foreign ministers discussed the talks at an informal meeting earlier today in the Turkish city of Antalya, where Turkey’s foreign minister called them a “window of opportunity” (Hürriyet Daily News)
Zelenskyy to Travel for Talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would go to Istanbul on Thursday in an effort to begin peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin there; Putin suggested meeting in Turkey after Zelenskyy called for a thirty-day ceasefire last week (FT)
The last time the two leaders met in person was in December 2019 (Reuters)
Putin Offers Continued Talks as European Leaders Call for Ceasefire
In a joint visit to Kyiv, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom threatened Russia with “new and massive sanctions” on its banking and energy sectors if President Vladimir Putin did not agree to a thirty-day ceasefire (NYT)
Putin evaded European calls for a full, unconditional ceasefire and instead offered to meet Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 15 (NBC)
Putin Hosts Heads of State for Military Parade
Putin said Russia would achieve its objectives in Ukraine in a speech that did not mention Trump’s call yesterday for a thirty-day ceasefire (Bloomberg)
Meanwhile, European officials meet in western Ukraine today to affirm support for Kyiv (Reuters)
Russia and Ukraine continued to report fighting despite today being the second day of a Russia-announced ceasefire (NYT)
Russia and Ukraine Trade Blame as Ceasefire Begins
Ukraine’s foreign minister called the pause in fighting a “farce” (Reuters)
Ukrainian officials had repeatedly called for a thirty-day truce instead, as Ukraine’s top presidential aide called Russia’s ceasefire announcement “political manipulation” (Reuters)
Ukraine’s foreign minister wrote on social media today that Russia committed 734 ceasefire violations “from midnight to midday” (CBS/AFP)
Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry said that Ukraine had conducted 488 attacks on Russian targets (Al Jazeera)
Russia announced plans for this truce late last month, giving more notice than it did in an abrupt pause in fighting proclaimed over Easter (CNN)
China and Russia discussed the war during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow today (Nikkei)
Russia, Ukraine Trade Drone Strikes Ahead of Moscow Victory Day Parade
Ukrainian drone strikes forced airports in Moscow to close for several hours, while Russian strikes overnight targeted Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the strikes on Kyiv killed a mother and her son (Reuters)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said at a conference that while the United States hopes to see Russia and Ukraine agree on guidelines for direct talks, there was still a “big gulf” between them; Russia is “asking for too much” in terms of concessions, he added (Politico)
France and Germany, which announced the formation of a bilateral security council, said they also discussed work toward a thirty-day truce in Ukraine (FT)
Russia-Ukraine Prisoner Swap
The two countries exchanged 205 prisoners of war each following mediation from the UAE, both sides said; the swap came as Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow led to the closure of the city’s airports for several hours, Russian officials said (ABC)
Overnight, a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed two people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said (Reuters)
U.S. Defense Tech to Ukraine
A U.S.-made Patriot air-defense system currently located in Israel will soon be moved to Ukraine under a deal reached by the Joe Biden administration, unnamed current and former U.S. officials told the New York Times; talks are also reportedly underway to transfer an additional system from Germany or Greece (NYT)
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a ceasefire with Moscow could be possible “at any moment” if Moscow agrees to the proposed thirty-day ceasefire length for diplomacy; Zelenskyy also called on Europe and Ukraine’s partners to increase pressure on Moscow through sanctions (Reuters)
U.S. and Ukraine Agree to Jointly Develop Ukrainian Natural Resources
The agreement “signals clearly to Russia that the [Donald] Trump administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said; according to text of the deal reviewed by the Washington Post, it does not explicitly provide U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, but affirms a “long-term strategic alignment” between the two countries (WaPo)
While the deal was not immediately published, Ukraine’s economy minister said it creates a joint fund to invest in the critical mineral, oil, and gas sectors (FT)
Profits will be reinvested in Ukraine for the first decade, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said (BBC)
The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. Treasury Department, and the Ukrainian government will work together to finalize governance of the program (U.S. Treasury)
Its signing marks an improvement in bilateral relations as U.S. President Trump urges a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine war (NYT)
Ukraine’s Response to Truce Proposal
Ukraine said it supports an immediate thirty-day truce following Russia’s announcement yesterday that it would pause fighting May 8–11; Trump welcomes Russia’s willingness for a short pause and “wants a permanent ceasefire and to bring this conflict to a peaceful resolution,” a U.S. National Security Council spokesperson said (Reuters)
A Kremlin spokesperson said today that Russia was waiting for Ukraine’s response to its May truce and invitation to begin direct negotiations on settling the war (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Sumy Governor Oleh Hryhorov stated that Russian troops, with limited success, continue attempts at creating a “buffer zone” in Sumy and have not yet gained control of four key border villages in the region (Reuters)
Russia Proposes Three-Day Ceasefire Next Month
Putin said today that Russia’s May 8–11 truce “based on humanitarian considerations” would also mark the anniversary of the end of World War II; he similarly declared an unexpected short truce over Easter, but Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of violations (BBC)
Separately, North Korea publicly acknowledged for the first time today that it had sent troops to fight for Russia (Yonhap)
Rubio: U.S. Will Decide This Week Whether to Keep Working Toward Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal
The Secretary of State asserted the administration had “other issues” it needed to prioritize (NYT)
In an interview that aired today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia would continue to strike Ukraine (FT)
Trump Meets With Zelenskyy on Sidelines of Pope Francis’s Funeral
Zelenskyy traveled to the Vatican with a counterproposal to a U.S.-backed plan that would end the war on less favorable terms for Russia and include reparations for Ukraine, unnamed Ukrainian officials told the New York Times(NYT)
Trump praised Zelenskyy afterward and posted on social media that Russia’s continued military attacks suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin might have “to be dealt with differently” via sanctions (The Hill)
Zelenskyy also held talks with several other world leaders at the funeral, and with the Vatican Secretary of State, whom he said was supporting efforts toward a ceasefire (X)
On the battlefield, Russia’s military said it took the last Ukrainian-held city in its Kursk region, though Ukraine said it was still fighting in the area (NYT)
Russian Drone Attack Kills Three in Southeastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russian officials said a car bomb also killed a top Russian military officer (AP)
Separately, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Putin discussed the possibility of direct Russia-Ukraine talks during their Moscow meeting, a Kremlin foreign policy aide said (Reuters)
Trump Criticizes Putin After Russian Strike on Kyiv
Trump wrote “Vladimir, STOP!” on social media after a Russian strike killed at least twelve people in Kyiv—a rare direct criticism from Trump of President Vladimir Putin’s actions in the war (Reuters)