Russia, Ukraine Trade Major Attacks Ahead of Kremlin's WWII Celebrations

A site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine May 5, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region/Handout via REUTERS
A site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine May 5, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region/Handout via REUTERS
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Russia, Ukraine Trade Major Attacks Ahead of Kremlin's WWII Celebrations

A site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine May 5, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region/Handout via REUTERS
A site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine May 5, 2026. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia region/Handout via REUTERS

Russia and Ukraine launched major attacks on each other on Friday, with a two-day unilateral ceasefire that Moscow had declared around its World War II commemorations appearing to be in tatters.

"On the Russian side, there was not even a token attempt to cease fire on the front," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Ukraine's air force reported downing 56 drones in the last hours.

"As we did over the past 24 hours, Ukraine will respond in kind today as well," Zelensky wrote on X.

Russia lobbed "more than 850 strikes with drones of various types" along with more than 140 strikes on Kyiv's frontline positions, Zelensky said.

Russia's defense ministry said it had downed 264 Ukrainian drones overnight, the first hours of the Kremlin's unilateral two-day ceasefire.

Ukraine had blasted Russia's temporary truce as a propaganda measure to protect the victory parade on May 9 -- one of the most important patriotic events for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Hours before Russia's ceasefire began, Zelensky warned allies of Russia against attending the parade.

"We have also received messages from some states close to Russia, saying that their representatives plan to be in Moscow... A strange desire... in these days. We do not recommend it," Zelensky said.

"They want from Ukraine a permit to hold their parade so that they can go out onto the square safely for one hour once a year, and then go on killing," the Ukrainian leader added.

Zelensky had earlier proposed a counter-truce from May 6 that has gone unheeded.

With Moscow doubling down on its attacks on Ukraine in the last days, Kyiv has struck back.

The Russian defense ministry had, in turn, urged residents and diplomats to leave Kyiv, threatening a potential retaliatory strike in case of a Ukrainian attack during its ceasefire.

"We remind the civilian population of Kyiv and staff at foreign diplomatic missions once again of the need to leave the city in good time," AFP quoted the defense ministry as saying in a statement.

Britain's foreign office said Moscow's threats were "unwarranted, irresponsible and completely unjustified", adding that any attack on a diplomatic mission would be a further escalation in the war.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told Bloomberg TV that Berlin will not pull its embassy staff out from Kyiv.

Zelensky will also stay "in Kyiv" over the weekend, a senior source close to the Ukrainian president told AFP on condition of anonymity.

During the truce, Russia's defense ministry said it would "completely" halt fire along the frontline and stop long-range strikes on military infrastructure.

If Ukraine did not follow suit, Moscow would respond "in kind", the ministry said.

Russia marks World War II Victory Day each year on May 9 with a massive military parade through Red Square.

Putin has made memory of the war a central narrative of his 25-year rule and invoked it to justify his invasion of Ukraine.

In recent weeks, Kyiv, which has expanded its drone capabilities, has stepped up strikes on Moscow and deep inside Russia, hitting targets hundreds of miles from Ukraine.

The attacks have created unease in Russia ahead of the parade, normally a grand show of force displaying tanks and missiles, which marks the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.

Moscow has said it will omit military hardware from the procession for the first time in almost 20 years.

The number of foreign guests has also shrunk -- only the leaders of Belarus, Malaysia and Laos will attend, alongside leaders of two Russia-backed Georgian breakaway republics not recognized by the UN, according to the Kremlin.

Moscow has also started intermittent city-wide internet shutdowns lasting until Saturday.

Talks on ending what has spiraled into Europe's worst conflict since World War II have shown little progress and have been sidelined by the Iran conflict.

Moscow is demanding that Ukraine withdraw from four regions it claims as its own -- terms seen as unacceptable to Kyiv.



Trump to Make First Flight on Qatar-Gifted Jet This Week

(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
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Trump to Make First Flight on Qatar-Gifted Jet This Week

(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
(FILES) In this February 15, 2025 a Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after US President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15, 2025. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)

US President Donald Trump will make his first flight on a new Air Force One plane gifted by Qatar later this week, the White House said Monday.

Trump will take the jet on Wednesday to North Dakota for an event marking the 250th anniversary of US independence, a White House official told AFP.

As he unveiled the plane earlier this month, Trump praised the Gulf emirate for being “so nice and providing” the modified Boeing 747, which previously served Qatar's head of state.

Trump has been obsessed since his first term with replacing the aging jets that serve as Air Force One, and he hand-picked the new plane's red, white and blue livery.

But critics have raised a host of ethical, constitutional and security concerns about the gifting of an aircraft worth hundreds of millions of dollars by a foreign power like Qatar.

The US Constitution prohibits presidents and other officeholders from receiving “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State” unless approved by Congress.

Trump's administration has said the plane is a direct gift to the US Department of Defense -- while stoking further concern by saying the plane would eventually be donated to Trump's presidential library.

The Qatari-gifted plane is meant to be a stopgap until US planemaker Boeing delivers two new 747-8 aircraft to serve as the presidential jet in a program plagued by delays and cost overruns.


Türkiye Must Be ‘Included’ in Europe Security Structures, Says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Türkiye Must Be ‘Included’ in Europe Security Structures, Says Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks during the opening ceremony of Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Türkiye, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Türkiye must be included in all of Europe's defense structures and defence trade restrictions between NATO members must be removed, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday ahead of a key NATO summit.

His remarks come as Europe revamps its defenses to counter Russia and the risk of a US pullback from NATO, which is to hold a summit in the Turkish capital Ankara on July 7-8.

"Türkiye's indispensable contributions to European security are sometimes overlooked," Erdogan told parliamentary delegates from all 32 NATO member states in Istanbul. He said Türkiye wanted "to participate in all defense and security initiatives" on the continent.

At issue is Türkiye's access to the European Union's 150-billion-euro ($176-billion) Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, intended to strengthen European defense capabilities.

"We expect your support, lawmakers, for Türkiye's inclusion in the defense and security initiatives announced by the European Union," Erdogan told them.

Within SAFE, firms from non-EU countries such as Türkiye, Britain and the United States can only supply up to 35 percent of the component costs of weaponry funded by the scheme.

If Türkiye wants its companies to be able to tap a bigger part of the funds Ankara needs to sign a security partnership with the EU and then negotiate special access with Brussels -- a process that would require approval from all 27 EU members. Greece has threatened to block such a move.

"Under SAFE, any third country can participate in a defense project up to a level of 35 percent. Any negotiations with a view to potentially increasing or lifting this 35 per cent cap ... would require a bilateral agreement," said Thomas Regnier, a European Commission spokesperson.

"For now, this is not an agreement we have concluded with Türkiye."

- 'Remove the obstacles' -

Erdogan also urged NATO to remove all barriers blocking defense industry trade between alliance members.

"If we want to overcome the challenges we face, we need to remove obstacles to defense industry trade while ensuring a balanced and fair burden-sharing among allies," he said.

Türkiye has the second-biggest army of the alliance after the United States and a burgeoning defense industry which has gone from strength to strength fueled by bilateral defense deals.

But its defense industry has been hit by US sanctions imposed over Ankara's purchase of an S-400 Russian surface-to-air missile defense system. Washington also booted Türkiye out of its F-35 program, in a move that has soured relations between the NATO allies.

Although Washington has expressed a desire to draw a line under the dispute, lifting the sanctions requires Congressional approval. Observers say there is little chance the showdown would be resolved before the summit.

US President Donald Trump has however pledged to give Erdogan something that would make him "very happy" when he flies in next week for the NATO gathering.

Analysts said it was likely to be a delivery of several dozen US-made F110 engines Türkiye needs for its fifth-generation KAAN fighter jets that are under development. Delivery of the engines had been blocked since the imposition of the US sanctions.


Trump Says Iran Requested Meeting to be Held in Doha Tuesday

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Trump Says Iran Requested Meeting to be Held in Doha Tuesday

US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
US and Iran flags are seen in this illustration taken June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

US President Donald Trump said that Iran has requested a meeting that will be held in the Gulf state of Qatar on Tuesday, despite an earlier denial from Tehran that talks were planned.

"IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday.

Shortly afterwards, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said US negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would be "flying to Doha for high level meetings this week".

Iran's foreign ministry earlier on Monday denied reports that Iranian and American technical teams will meet this week to discuss the implementation of the deal to end the Middle East war.

Uncertainty over the talks followed renewed tit-for-tat attacks between the United States and Iran in recent days despite an April ceasefire and a memorandum of understanding, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar, aimed at permanently ending the war.

A diplomat with knowledge of the talks confirmed to AFP on Monday that officials from the US and Iran are to meet in Doha to discuss the accord.

"Technical teams working on the implementation of the MoU are scheduled to meet in Doha in the coming days," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks.

The diplomat added "communications channels created to de-escalate any incidents are in place," following strikes between the US and Iran.