L to R: Poland Prime Minister Donald Tusk, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukraine President Voloydmyr Zelensky, France President Emmanuel Macron, and Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the grounds of the Mariynsky Palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 10, 2025 (Ludovic Marin/AP)

Sunday’s Coverage: Russia’s Attacks on Center of Ukraine

UPDATE 2229 GMT:

French President Emmanuel Macron has posted:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed the call for support for Ukraine, increasing European defense preparedness, and the “biting impact” of sanctions on the Russian economy.

“Along with our allies, Europe has the means and the will to increase pressure on Russia to come to the negotiation table,” she assured.

UPDATE 1934 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has written in greater detail about his discussion with the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany, followed by a call with counterparts in Finland, Italy, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as the NATO Secretary General and the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

Zelensky briefed the leaders of contacts with the US and work on the differing proposals: the document from the Kremlin and Donald Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, and the European counter-proposal beginning with a ceasefire on current frontlines.

“It is important that we work together on all documents – including the overall peace framework, security guarantees, and Ukraine’s post-war recovery,” Zelensky posted.

He also stressed the “key priorities” of bolstered air defense, purchase of US weapons by NATO members, and energy assistance.

Flying to Brussels, Zelensky said the London talks were “productive” and made a “small progress towards peace”.

“I think the plan will be ready tomorrow, sometime in the evening. I think we will look at it again and send it to the US,” he told reporters.

The President emphasized, “Do we envision ceding territories? We have no legal right to do so, under Ukrainian law, our constitution and international law. And we don’t have any moral right either.”

A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Starmer said, “The leaders all agreed that now is a critical moment and that we must continue to ramp up support to Ukraine and economic pressure on Putin to bring an end to this barbaric war.”

UPDATE 1720 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has posted his immediate summary of the London talks:

UPDATE 1701 GMT:

The European Union has adopted the European Defense Industry Program, which includes €300 million ($349 million) for the Ukrainian defense industry.

The program seeks to boost the EU’s defense readiness and foster the integration of Ukraine’s defense sector into the bloc’s expanding industrial framework.

EDIP allocates €1.5 billion ($1.74 billion) in grants for 2025 to 2027 to strengthen the industrial base of European defense technology through output and faster joint procurement.

UPDATE 1616 GMT:

The talks of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders have concluded in London.

Returning to Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “I think the main issue is the convergence between our common positions, Europeans and Ukrainians and the US to finalize these peace negotiations.”

They could then move to a “new phase” to aim to secure “the best possible conditions for Ukraine, for the Europeans and for collective security”.

UPDATE 1407 GMT:

At the opening press appearance in London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has emphasized the need for a just and lasting peace settlement for Ukraine.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Starmer for organizing the discussion at an important moment to consider “sensitive” issues.

There are matters that “we can’t manage without Americans…we can’t manage without Europe,” the President says.

French President Emmanuel Macron says that “we all support Ukraine and peace” and “we have a lot of cards in our hands”, amid an increasingly troubled Russian economy.

He echoes Zelensky on the need to bring Europe and the US closer for agreement on the path forward.

German Chanceller Merz says that “these could be decisive” days “for all of us”: “We are and remain strongly behind Ukraine….The destiny of this country is the destiny of Europe.”

He said he is “sceptical” about “some of the details coming in the documents from the US side”, amid the collusion on Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with the Kremlin.

UPDATE 1142 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that the Russian demand to seize more territory is unacceptable.

He told Bloomberg News that there are “visions of the US, Russia, and Ukraine” over territory but “we don’t have a unified view on Donbas”, the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.

He noted that Kyiv is pushing for a separate agreement on security guarantees from western allies, especially the US.

“There is one question I – and all Ukrainians – want to get an answer to: if Russia again starts the war, what will our partners do?” the President said.

Zelensky added on Telegram, “Meetings and coordination calls with our European partners are on the agenda. We are aligning our efforts to end this war with a dignified peace for Ukraine. Ukraine’s security must be guaranteed.”

UPDATE 1129 GMT:

The Netherlands has allocated another €700 million ($815 million) in military support for Ukraine in the first quarter of 2026.

The Dutch Government had pledged €3.5 billion ($4.1 billion) for next year, but a large part of this has already been spent.

UPDATE 0953 GMT:

The leaders of seven European countries have backed a “reparations loan”, drawn from frozen Russian assets, to cover the Ukraine Government’s need for €135 billion ($157 billion) in financing through 2027.

The Prime Ministers of Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden said the European Commission’s proposal is “the most financially feasible and poltiically realistic” solution.

Belgium, which holds around 2/3rd of the €210 billion of Russian frozen assets in Europe, has objected to the arrangement and blocked passage in October. It will be discussed again at a European Union summit next week.

Last Friday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in Brussels. No breakthrough was announced after the dinner.

UPDATE 0652 GMT:

Russia attacked the Pechenihy reservoir dam in the Kharkiv region in northern Ukraine on Sunday.

The reservoir supplies water to Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.

Pechenihy Mayor Oleksandr Husarov said traffic was suspended after a direct hit on the dam, but he did not detail the extent of the damage.

“The Ukrainian side has long been aware of the potential risks and is ready for the dam to be critically damaged. Appropriate response plans were developed in advance,” said Ukraine’s 16th Army Corps. It assured, “Temporary loss of movement across the dam will not have a critical impact on the conduct of combat operations.”

One man was killed in a Russian attack on the village of Staryi Saltiv, on the right bank of the reservoir.

The 16th Army Corps noted the dam is “a critically important facility that provides water supply, ecosystem stability, and security for dozens of settlements in Kharkiv Oblast”. Russia’s attack was “a gross violation of international humanitarian law and qualifies as a war crime”.

In the neighboring Sumy region, seven civilians were injured by a Russian attack on a nine-story residential building.

The drones hit the roof and wall, setting a fire in apartments on the second through fifth floors.

Two victims are still in hospital.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Countering the collusion of Donald Trump’s officials with the Kremlin, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in London on Monday.

Zelensky said in his nightly address to the nation:

First and foremost, security issues, support for our resilience, and support packages for our defense.

First and foremost, air defense and long term funding for Ukraine.

Zelensky noted the discussions last Thursday to Saturday between Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. Those discussions followed Witkoff and Kushner’s conference with Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Tuesday.

The President said he expected “detailed information” from Umerov, including on “the nuances the Americans are prepared to modify in negotiations with us and with the Russians”.

Zelensky spoke with Witkoff and Kushner on Saturday. He gave no details of the exchange, thanking them for “their readiness” for discussion and noting, “The American envoys are aware of Ukraine’s core positions, and the conversation was constructive though not easy.”

Trump Lies About His Proposal With Kremlin

Trump told reporters on Sunday night that Zelensky was not ready to sign off on the proposal developed by Witkoff and Kushner with Vladimir Putin’s top economic advisor Kirill Dmitriev.

“Russia is, I believe, fine with [the deal], but I’m not sure that Zelensky’s fine with it,” he said.

The ultimatum’s 28 points demanded that Russia be given all of the strategic Donetsk region in the east of the country. The rest of Ukraine would be kept permanently weak, with a ban on NATO membership, limits on the Ukranian military, and restrictions on Western assistance. The Trump Administration would get 50% of profits from Ukraine’s recovery fund, while Russia would get a lifting of sanctions, G8 membership, and amnesty for its officials over their war crimes.

Trump did not refer to a European-Ukraine counter-proposal beginning with a ceasefire on current frontlines. Instead, he lied:

I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelensky hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago. His people love it, but he hasn’t.

Zelensky Speaks With Italy’s Meloni

Before his address to the nation, Zelensky spoke with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Meloni announced the dispatch of emergency supplies for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, with generators to be shipped in the coming weeks.

Zelensky expressed gratitude for the support. He posted about discussion of “the outcomes of our engagement with the American side, as well as the existing prospects and challenges”.