German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has accused US President Donald Trump of poor negotiating tactics in the struggle for a ceasefire in Ukraine. "He simply misjudged the negotiating situation with Putin," the Minister of Defense said.

In a recent call with European leaders, Trump signaled that he was convinced Russia was winning, repeating a number of the Kremlin’s talking points, according to people familiar with the exchange.

Trump: “I called Zelensky, they told me, ‘He’s in South Africa.’ I asked, ‘What the hell is he doing there?’”

He also claimed “tremendous progress” was made on ending the war in Ukraine after his last call with Putin.

Explosion of a Russian ammo depot after a Ukrainian FPV drone strike in Novotroitske, Donetsk region.

Over the past week in Kharkiv region, operators of strike drones from the Phoenix unit of the "Pomsta" brigade have delivered powerful blows to Russian forces: 20 vehicles destroyed, along with three 152mm Msta-B howitzers, one D-20 howitzer, two artillery guns, and six fuel depots.

This right here is the problem with the current U.S. administration: dodging the simple truth that Putin is a war criminal—treating him instead like a future business partner.

In a Senate hearing:

Sen. Keating: Is Putin a war criminal?
Rubio: “We’re trying to end the war.”
Keating: It’s a yes or no.
Rubio: “He’s someone we negotiate with.”

Shameful.

Russian claims they reached the Dnipropetrovsk region border are fake — both the news and the widely shared photo, says regional head Serhiy Lysak.

This is what is left of the Russian group that made a picture near Troitske. Russians found a Ukrainian pickup tangled in wire near Troitske and rushed to pose with it. One of the photo-takers was later eliminated — so much for their "breakthrough."

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had a telephone conversation with Zelensky - they talked about ways to achieve peace and further support for the Alliance.

"We discussed efforts to secure a just and lasting peace, as well as continued support from NATO, including through NATO Command Wiesbaden, so that Ukraine can defend itself today and deter aggression in the future," Rutte wrote.

Zelensky: "Thanked EU Council President António Costa for approving the 17th EU sanctions package vs Russia. The next must be stronger — targeting energy, banking & shadow fleet crews. He confirmed sanctions if Russia refuses ceasefire. Also discussed opening negotiation clusters on Ukraine’s EU membership."

Ukrainian forces struck a Russian FPV drone operator point. Footage from the Russian side.

Polish PM Donald Tusk warns of a Russian "shadow fleet" ship making suspicious maneuvers near the Poland-Sweden power cable. Polish military intervened; ship returned to a Russian port. Earlier, Estonia tried to stop the tanker Jaguar linked to the shadow fleet.

🇺🇸 Trump says Russia shouldn’t have been kicked out of the “G8.”

At a White House meeting with South Africa’s president, he called the G8 format better than the G7 and said it would be better if Russia were still part of it. He also claimed G7 and G20 wouldn’t matter without the US.

🚨 CNN published intercepted calls revealing Russian forces directing the execution of Ukrainian POWs: “Capture the commander, kill the others.” These atrocities happened late last year, with over 20 investigations now underway into POW executions ordered by senior commanders. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Rubio still hesitates to openly label Putin a war criminal.

A key question for the NATO summit in The Hague is whether president Zelensky will be there. Dutch PM Schoof said he and NATO Chief Rutte “would love to invite” Zelensky, but Rutte says the agenda isn’t finalized yet and an announcement is coming soon. Sources say the US has raised objections.

Ukraine is ready to start EU accession talks, says Zelensky.

“We are thoroughly preparing the negotiation process. From our side, everything is set to open the first clusters,” the president stated.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb says the US has not abandoned its mediator role between Russia and Ukraine. He added that Europe will join as a co-mediator, with talks continuing at various levels, including next week at the Vatican.

🇵🇱 Polish PM Tusk sharply responded to presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, who suggested Poland might withdraw support for Ukraine’s NATO membership.

“By endorsing this, Nawrocki signs up for Ukraine’s capitulation and dismemberment — deadly dangerous for Poland,” Tusk warned.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić addressed anticipated questions from EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas regarding his trip to Moscow for the 80th Victory Day anniversary. Vučić emphasized transparency and readiness to discuss the issue, saying: “She was the only one to publicly condemn my trip to Moscow. I had a clear conversation with her and unambiguously explained Serbia’s position. I did not hide. I am sure she will raise this question again. I will not hide under the table or avoid it.”

The 21/05/25 SitRep on Ukraine is ready: https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1925288200286671344.html

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