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Russia’s war against Ukraine
A woman visits a memorial for the fallen Ukrainian and foreign fighters on Kyiv’s Independence Square on May 19, 2025. (Andrew Kravchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
‘Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war’ — Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call. “Clear and realistic proposals must be on the table. Ukraine is ready for any effective negotiation format. And if Russia continues to put forward unrealistic conditions and undermine possible results, there must be harsh consequences,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
‘Status quo hasn’t changed’ — Ukraine reacts to Putin-Trump call. Putin and Trump held a phone call on May 19, during which the Russian leader refused to agree to a ceasefire and instead declared readiness to negotiate a “memorandum regarding a potential future peace treaty.”
Zelensky proposes free trade agreement to Trump, Kyiv says. Ukraine and the U.S. launched initial talks on a free trade zone back in 2021.
Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine. Ukraine has consistently warned that its current air defense capacity is insufficient to counter the scale of Russia’s intensified missile and drone attacks.
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Zelensky had to remind Trump peace talks already underway during call with EU leaders, Axios reports. Donald Trump told the leaders that Vladimir Putin agreed to start direct negotiations on a ceasefire immediately, which led to a few seconds of “puzzled silence,” Axios reported.
Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from Czech initiative, Ukraine’s PM says. The country’s opposition party, ANO, has threatened to suspend the munitions initiative if it wins parliamentary elections in October 2025.
EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet. “New measures also address hybrid threats and human rights. More sanctions on Russia are in the works,” Kaja Kallas said on X.
UK unveils new Russia sanctions, accuses Moscow of delaying peace efforts. The measures, announced in coordination with the EU’s 17th sanctions package, target “entities supporting Russia’s military machine, energy exports and information war, as well as financial institutions” supporting the Russian war effort.
Read our exclusives
Ukraine war latest: ‘Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war’ — Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call
Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 20, reacting to a recent call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Photo: Presidential Office / web
‘There we go again’ — For war-weary Europe, Trump-Putin call yet another signal to ‘wake up’
For observers across Europe, watching the way the negotiations have been unfolding was an unpleasant reminder that the U.S. can no longer be relied on as a partner — but it was not a surprising revelation.
Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images
‘Trump doesn’t know how to deal with gangsters’ — US lets Ukraine down, once again
In what is now a semi-regular occurrence, the workings of U.S.-led global diplomacy has cast a dark shadow over Ukraine.
Photo: Win McNamee / Getty Images
‘No one saw surrender as an option’ – Mariupol defender on historic Azovstal fight and brutal Russian captivity
The way Ukrainian soldiers defended the plant, despite injuries, exhaustion, and severe shortages of ammunition and even food, has already gone down in history as one of the most heroic military operations to date.
Photo: Artem Dubyna’s personal archive
Human cost of Russia’s war
Russia sends 20,000 recently naturalized citizens to fight in Ukraine, top official says. “Already 20,000 ‘young’ citizens of Russia, who for some reason do not like living in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, are on the front lines,” Russian Investigative Committee Head Alexander Bastrykin said.
Opinions and insights
Polish FM: Europe’s existential choice
Today, U.S. officials are openly stating that they do not intend to devote most of their time or resources to dealing with what they deem European issues. According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the U.S. has “other priorities to focus on.”
Photo: Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Because of Russia, my child understood fear early
Without its children, Ukraine as a nation — not just a place on a map — cannot survive.
Photo: Ed Ram/For The Washington Post via Getty Images
International response
EU to downsize diplomatic service, prioritize Russia sanctions enforcement, POLITICO reports. The European Union is preparing to downsize its diplomatic service – the European External Action Service (EEAS) – and redirect funds toward strategic interests such as enforcing sanctions against Russia, POLITICO reported on May 20.
Trump administration considers deporting nearly 200,000 Ukrainians using foreign aid funds, WP reports. During Joe Biden’s presidency, Ukrainians and Haitians were granted temporary protection, allowing them to stay in the U.S. if they could not return to their home country.
Ukraine could launch war crime probe against Kim Jong Un over backing Russia, former ICC chief says. There are sufficient legal grounds for Ukraine to initiate a case against North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un for assisting Russia in the war, according to Song Sang-hyun, former president of the ICC.
Hungary’s parliament passes bill on ICC withdrawal. The government-proposed bill, supported by 134 lawmakers, would see Hungary exit the international body that it co-founded in 2002. The Hague-based court is tasked with prosecuting international crimes of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity.
Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon arrives in Ukraine in historic visit, meets Zelensky. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway arrived in Ukraine on May 20, marking the first visit by a member of the Norwegian royal family during Russia’s invasion.
Russia releases Green Admire tanker seized after leaving Estonian port. The detention followed recent moves by Estonia and its neighbors to clamp down on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is used to bypass Western oil sanctions.
Hungary claims it exposed 2 Ukrainian ‘spies’ amid mutual espionage accusations. Prior, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed that it had exposed a Hungarian espionage network in western Ukraine, detaining two agents. In response, Hungary expelled two Ukrainian diplomats, a move met with reciprocal expulsions by Kyiv.
Far-right candidate Simion contests Romanian election loss, alleges foreign interference. “I officially ask the Constitutional Court to annul the Romanian presidential elections for the same reasons the December elections were annulled: external interferences by state and non-state actors,” George Simion wrote on X.
Poland to try suspect in alleged Russian plot to assassinate Zelensky. Polish prosecutors have indicted a man charged with allegedly planning to assist Russian foreign intelligence in a possible assassination attempt on President Volodymyr Zelensky, authorities announced on May 20.
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In other news
Ukraine’s French-trained brigade faces fresh misconduct allegations; Ground Forces commander launches probe. Ukrainska Pravda published an investigation into a possible involvement of the brigade’s command in handing out falsified bonus payments and demanding bribes.
US senators introduce bipartisan resolution demanding return of abducted Ukrainian children. In a rare display of bipartisan unity, a group of U.S. senators has introduced a resolution calling for the return of thousands of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia, urging that no peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine be finalized until all minors are safely repatriated.
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