Denying Ukraine NATO membership makes it easier for Russia to plan aggression, says EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius. He stressed that Russia fears not a NATO attack, but NATO protecting Ukraine from future invasions.
Is the only reason Putin’s declaring a ceasefire because he's afraid Ukraine will attack the Victory Day parade with drones?
Russia has declared a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine to coincide with its most sacrosanct national holiday marking the World War II defeat of Nazi Germany, Victory Day, calling on Kyiv to agree to the pause.
Ukraine was quick in its response, which came soon after the Russian proposal on Monday.
“If Russia truly wants peace, it must cease fire immediately,” Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, according to his ministry. He reiterated that Ukraine is ready for a “lasting, reliable, and complete ceasefire” for at least 30 full days.
“Why wait for May 8? If we can cease fire now from any date and for 30 days – so that it is real, and not just for a parade,” he said, without confirming whether Kyiv would accept the truce proposal.
Andriy Yermak, a top Ukrainian presidential official, was also dismissive later on Telegram, “The ceasefire is needed not for a parade, but for real and sustainable peace”.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said Russian forces would halt fighting from midnight on May 7-8 to midnight on May 10-11. The announcement came amid rising pressure from the United States to agree to a full ceasefire in the conflict.
Russia will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, the term it uses for its war with the Third Reich from 1942 to 1945, commonly known as World War II, on May 9.
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List of foreign officials who have confirmed their attendance at Moscow's Victory Day on May 9th.
Ukraine, in contrast to Russia, continues to demonstrate its support for Trump's desired full, permanent ceasefire. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated on April 28 that Trump has made it clear that he wants a permanent ceasefire first (presumably before negotiations for a final end to the Russian invasion).[8] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted on April 28 that Ukraine supported the US proposal for a full ceasefire, proposed a ceasefire on strikes against civilian infrastructure, and proposed extending the Easter truce – all proposals that Russia has rejected.[9] Zelensky stated that there is no reason to wait for May 8 to start the temporary ceasefire and called for an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days, as this is the "foundation that could lead to real diplomacy." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha similarly called for an immediate ceasefire and questioned why Putin was "waiting" for May 8.[10] Sybiha reiterated Ukraine's support for a "long" and complete ceasefire.
Ukrainian and European representatives reportedly recently presented the United States with a proposal to end the war that called for a full, unconditional air, sea, and land ceasefire – in line with Trump's continued calls for a full ceasefire.[11] Putin's continued efforts to obfuscate his previous rejections of US and Ukrainian ceasefire proposals run counter to Trump's stated approach of first establishing a ceasefire and then negotiating a broader peace agreement, and to Trump's goal of achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine.[12]
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As Moscow prepares for possible negotiations with Washington aimed at ending its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it is seeking a far more ambitious outcome than a mere ceasefire: a global reordering of spheres of influence.
In the Kremlin’s view, such an agreement would effectively mean U.S. recognition of Russian dominance in the post-Soviet space — including Ukraine — and, to some extent, an acknowledgment of its influence in Europe.
To secure that goal, the Kremlin is now scouring for incentives it believes can catch and hold President Donald Trump’s attention, ranging from rare earths deals and geopolitical leverage in Iran and North Korea to a long-dreamed-of Trump Tower in Moscow.
Five current Russian government officials, including two diplomats, three sources close to the Kremlin and employees of three major state-owned companies confirmed this to The Moscow Times, all speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“The main thing is that they [the Americans] don't interfere in our affairs and don't tell us how to live,” said a senior Russian official familiar with the Kremlin’s negotiating logic. “That they don’t hinder us in doing what we are doing.”
Some in Moscow also envision symbolic gestures of recognition as part of a potential agreement, such as President Vladimir Putin visiting Washington and meeting Trump in the White House.
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Russian forces conducted a series of drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on April 27 and 28.
The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 166 strike and decoy drones from near Kursk and Oryol cities and Millerovo, Rostov Oblast.[115] The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 40 drones over northern, eastern, southern, and central Ukraine and that 74 drones were "lost," likely due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW) interference. Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drones struck Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Cherkasy oblasts.[116]
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Ukrainian Air Force reported that Ukrainian forces downed 40 drones over northern, eastern, southern, and central Ukraine and that 74 drones were "lost," likely due to Ukrainian electronic warfare (EW)
Since the beginning of the day, 133 combat engagements have taken place, the enemy has launched 80 air strikes on the positions of Ukr troops and settlements, using 112 guided aerial bombs, 1103 strikes by kamikaze drones, and 4296 artillery shellings.
- Russia launched nearly 150 drones and missiles at Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least four people. The Ukrainian Air Force said that 57 of the drones were intercepted and another 67 were jammed.
- North Korea confirmed for the first time on Monday that it had dispatched troops to fight alongside the Russian military to help retake parts of the Kursk region occupied by Ukrainian forces.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his personal gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying, “Our Korean friends acted based on a sense of solidarity, justice and genuine comradeship”.
- The US State Department expressed alarm over the admission and called for Pyongyang to immediately end its military support for Russia.
- United States President Donald Trump appeared for the first time to suggest that he is reversing his previous trust in Putin. Trump said on Sunday that he is “very disappointed” over Russia’s ongoing missile strikes against Ukraine. “I want him to stop shooting, sit down, and sign a deal,” the US leader told reporters.
- However, Trump also claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might be willing to “give up” Crimea to Russia, despite Kyiv’s consistent refusal to cede territory.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the Trump administration could pull out of ceasefire talks unless progress is made soon. “We cannot continue to dedicate time and resources to this effort if it’s not going to come to fruition,” Rubio told NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, adding that a ceasefire deal “needs to happen soon”.
- Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov stated Moscow’s readiness for a negotiated settlement but noted that there were unresolved elements. “We are ready to reach a deal,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation, adding that certain points needed to be “fine-tuned”.
- Previously received US assistance will not be factored into an upcoming minerals agreement with Washington, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Sunday. Shmyhal added that there was “good progress” on the agreement after meeting US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.
- German Minister for Defence Boris Pistorius has warned Ukraine against accepting Trump’s ceasefire proposal involving land concessions to Russia, calling it “capitulation”.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin announced another unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine – this time in honor of a major Soviet and Russian military holiday, while continuing to reject the March 2025 US-Ukrainian 30-day general ceasefire proposal. Putin continues to refuse any ceasefire other than on terms that advantage his war effort.
- Putin is leveraging unilateral ceasefires to achieve informational and battlefield advantages in Ukraine, counter to US President Donald Trump's goal of using a general ceasefire as a stepping stone towards an enduring and sustainable peace agreement in Ukraine.
- Ukraine – in contrast to Russia – continues to demonstrate its support for Trump's desired full, permanent ceasefire.
- The Kremlin continues attempts to hold legitimate ceasefire negotiations hostage in order to secure additional concessions from Ukraine and the United States.
- Lavrov reiterated on April 28 Russia's longstanding demands for Ukraine's surrender and concessions from the West, as Russia continues to offer no concessions of its own.
- Russian and North Korean officials touted the success of their joint military operations in Kursk Oblast in order to highlight the international community's inability to deter Russian efforts to involve its allies directly in Russia's war against Ukraine, as the Kremlin pledged to offer North Korea reciprocal active military support.
- Russia is reportedly expanding its military infrastructure along its border with Finland and stockpiling new tanks, likely in preparation for future aggression against NATO.
- Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová announced on April 27 that the Czech Ammunition Initiative will have delivered another 400,000 rounds of large-caliber artillery ammunition to Ukraine by April 30.
- Russian forces recently advanced in Sumy Oblast and near Kupyansk, Siversk, Toretsk, and Novopavlivka.
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In Bryansk, the Kremniy-El plant, which produces electronics for Russia's military needs, is under attack by UAVs — military publications.
The Kremniy-El plant is one of the key enterprises in the Russian microelectronics industry.
The plant produces a wide range of microcircuits and components used in the Topol-M, Bulava missile systems, the S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, as well as in the on-board electronics of combat aircraft.
