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Category: 6. Opinion
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Another day, another disastrous Russian motorcycle assault in Donetsk Oblast – but the Russians aren’t about to quit
The roads and fields around the village of Vilne Pole, in southern Donetsk Oblast, are littered with the wreckage of scores of Russian motorcycles. Repeatedly attacking on bikes, Russian troops—possibly from the 60th Motor Rifle Brigade—are getting massacred by drones and artillery from the…
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ISW: Russian officials lay groundwork for Putin to chicken out of Istanbul talks he himself demanded
Russian officials “appear to be setting conditions” for President Vladimir Putin to reject Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for bilateral ceasefire talks set for 15 May in Istanbul, Türkiye, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its 12 May assessment.
This…Continue Reading
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Zelenskyy demands Putin attend Istanbul talks, Trump considers joining the summit
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated he will only attend the upcoming Istanbul peace summit on 15 May if Russian President Vladimir Putin is also present. Speaking through presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak, Ukraine ruled out talks with any other Russian officials. Meanwhile, US…
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FT: Trump’s Ukraine minerals deal expected to yield no output before 2035
The investment agreement between Ukraine and the United States championed by US President Donald Trump, which aims to boost Ukraine’s mining and energy sectors, is not expected to deliver results for at least a decade, according to experts cited in the Financial Times.
Significant obstacles to…Continue Reading
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Politico: Trump’s USAID freeze disrupted HIV services in Ukraine, triggering treatment gaps
HIV-positive patients across Ukraine are facing an acute crisis as US-funded treatment programs remain in political limbo. A Politico report published on 13 May highlights that medication supplies, including for children, are only guaranteed until November, following a funding freeze by the US…
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UK sentences six Bulgarians for spying on behalf of Russian intelligence
Six Bulgarian nationals involved in a Russian spy ring coordinated by Wirecard’s former chief operating officer Jan Marsalek were sentenced in London to prison terms of up to ten years, Bloomberg reported on 12 May.
Wirecard AG, an insolvent German payment processor and financial services…Continue Reading
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EBRD expects 5% GDP growth in Ukraine in 2026 if ceasefire is reached
Ukraine’s GDP is now expected to grow by 3.3% in 2025, according to the latest Regional Economic Prospects report published by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on 13 May 2025. This is a downward revision from the February forecast of 3.5%, attributed to global trade…
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Rediscovering the Duty to Abstain – EJIL: Talk!
Background
The principle nemo iudex in causa sua—no one should be a judge in their own cause—has deep roots in international law, yet its codification in the UN Charter has often been disregarded. Article 27(3) requires a State that is a party to a dispute to abstain from voting on related…
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Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1174: Zelenskyy challenges Putin to first direct talks since 2022
Exclusives
Reagan Republican in the Vatican: Why Pope Leo XIV’s conservatism is a boon for Ukraine. Traditional conservative rather than populist firebrand, the new pontiff revives Cold War clarity on Russian aggression. 
Ukraine’s HIMARS are blowing up Russia’s best North Korean… Continue Reading