Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is planning to host a summit on May 9 with leaders from the “coalition of the willing” to discuss potential security guarantees for Ukraine following a possible ceasefire with Russia, according to Ihor Sybiha, deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office. Notably, the United States is not part of this coalition.
Although the specific location of the proposed meeting is still under discussion, two anonymous EU diplomats revealed that talks are ongoing about a potential early May visit to Ukraine by several foreign leaders, including Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited the leaders of Israel, China, Brazil, Slovakia, and Serbia to attend celebrations in Moscow marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Most EU leaders and the United States did not receive invitations.
In 2005, former U.S. President George W. Bush and then-French President Jacques Chirac attended similar celebrations in Moscow featuring military displays on Red Square. In recent years, however, Western leaders have stayed away from the event.
Despite international calls to halt its aggression, Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. On Palm Sunday, a Russian ballistic missile struck the city of Sumy, killing 34 and injuring more than 170 civilians. The attack was widely condemned by global leaders, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump labeled the strike “terrible,” though he stopped short of explicitly condemning Russia for the attack.
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