In short, no actual ceasefire. After Kyiv initially rebuffed Moscow’s unilateral ceasefire over the weekend, it later relented after the US helped secure a major “1,000 for 1,000” prisoner swap. But later, Kyiv and Moscow both accused each other of ceasefire violations – Kyiv said it recorded 147 clashes on the first day of the three-day ceasefire, including a deadly drone strike, while Moscow claimed thousands of clashes along the front.

JOIN US ON TELEGRAM Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. But amid Moscow’s domestic and battlefield setbacks – and what President Volodymyr Zelensky called “a little push” via drone strikes – the Kremlin also claimed it is now open to negotiations, with Kremlin leader Putin suggesting the war is ending soon and that he is open to talks with Europe and to signing a final peace deal in a neutral country.

Advertisement (FILES) Picture taken on Oct. 7, 2005, shows then German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (L) shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) during their meeting in St Petersburg, Russia. (Photo by TATYANA MAKEYEVA / AFP) But with Putin naming a pro-Kremlin figure as the EU’s negotiator – already rejected by the EU and Germany – and his aide Yuri Ushakov reverting to the same old rhetoric about the Donbas, it remains to be seen whether there will be any meaningful steps toward ending the bloodiest war in Europe since WWII.

Other Topics of Interest ISW Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, May 12, 2026 Latest from the Institute for the Study of War. World updates – Iran fiasco, Trump’s upcoming Beijing trip In Europe, there is both good and bad news – US President Donald Trump is reportedly eyeing troop withdrawal from Italy as well, not just Germany, amid disputes over what he called NATO’s lack of support over Iran.

Sweden also said it had arrested two people for supplying Russia with industrial products in violation of sanctions. The Tisza party's foreign minister designate, Anita Orban, delivers a speech on Feb. 15, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary.

(Photo by Ferenc ISZA / AFP) Advertisement But Hungary’s new government has vowed not to blackmail the EU with vetoes, while the EU and UK also introduced more sanctions against those accused of spreading Kremlin propaganda and abducting Ukrainian children. In Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made a surprise trip to Kyiv and announced progress in bilateral arms development, including those in long-range drones.

We also talked to the CEO of Ukraine’s PrivatBank about who might foot the bill for Ukraine’s $600 billion rebuild. Iran updates – no end in sight The Iran situation, though, remains largely a mess. Despite the first Qatari gas tanker reportedly making it through the Strait of Hormuz after the war started, Trump has now lashed out at Iran’s peace proposal, calling it “totally unacceptable” and sending oil prices surging once again, leaving the future of the conflict increasingly uncertain despite multiple rounds of talks.

Advertisement Trump is also expected to visit China between Wednesday and Friday, with Beijing’s support for Iran presumably among the key items on the agenda, alongside artificial intelligence, rare earth minerals, and Taiwan – stay tuned for more updates. Russia updates – North Korean arms sales, Russian threats for Armenia In what might signal Russia’s faltering battlefield performance, watchdogs now say Moscow has been increasingly relying on AI deepfakes to boast about non-existent gains.

Russia’s diplomatic spat with Armenia has also deepened. Putin had asked Armenia to choose between the EU and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), tacitly hinting at a “Ukraine scenario” while urging Yerevan to choose wisely. Meanwhile, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said he would skip the upcoming EAEU summit while subtly rebuffing Putin, saying Yerevan had no intention of leaving the bloc before adding that their relations are based on mutual trust.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico attend a meeting in Moscow on May 9, 2026. (Photo by Ramil Sitdikov / POOL / AFP) Advertisement But just as ties between Yerevan and Moscow continue to deteriorate, Russia appears to have struck a positive note with Saudi Arabia by becoming the fourth country to receive visa-free status in the Gulf state.

Regarding the May 9 parade, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was among the few present. Despite the lack of a major military display, Moscow did showcase its new Geran-5 missile. On the subject of weapons, South Korean researchers also claimed that North Korea pocketed up to $13.8 billion via arms sales and troop support for Russia, where eyewitnesses have claimed that living standards in Pyongyang have, ironically, been uplifting in part thanks to the money made from Moscow.

Interested in more updates like this? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here.