Putin refuses ceasefire after Trump name; Zelensky rejects Russia’s demand to withdraw troops from 4 areas

Key developments on Might 19:

• After name with Trump, Putin nonetheless refuses full ceasefire, once more cites Russia’s ‘root causes’ of conflict in Ukraine
• Zelensky dismisses Putin’s demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian areas
• Commander of Ukraine’s 59th Brigade changed, media experiences
• Ukrainian drones destroy Russian radar, provide depots on Black Sea gasoline platforms, SBU says

Russia continues to refuse to conform to a full ceasefire in Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin as an alternative ready to barter a “memorandum relating to a possible future peace treaty,” he stated following a two-hour name with U.S. President Donald Trump on Might 19.

Putin stated Trump had “expressed his place relating to the cessation of hostilities, a ceasefire,” however the Russian president insisted the “best paths in the direction of peace” had been nonetheless to be decided.

A supply within the President’s Workplace advised the Kyiv Impartial on Might 19 that Ukraine continues to be pushing for a full, unconditional ceasefire in talks this week with the U.S. president — the important thing demand pushed by Trump and accepted by Ukraine again in March.

“Agreed with the president of the U.S. that Russia will suggest and is able to work with the Ukrainian aspect on a memorandum on a attainable future peace treaty,” Putin advised reporters after the decision.

“It’d outline quite a lot of positions, for instance, the rules of settlement, the timing of a attainable peace settlement, and so forth, together with a attainable ceasefire for a sure time period if the related agreements are reached.”

Russia’s place within the negotiations stays unchanged and requires “eliminating the basis causes” of the conflict, Putin added.

Following the decision, the U.S. president stated on Fact Social that Russia and Ukraine will “instantly begin” negotiations towards a ceasefire and an finish to the conflict.

“The circumstances for that will likely be negotiated between the 2 events, as it might solely be, as a result of they know particulars of a negotiation that no person else would concentrate on,” Trump wrote.

Trump additionally claimed that Russia is excited about partaking in large-scale commerce with the United States as soon as the conflict ends.

“There’s a great alternative for Russia to create large quantities of jobs and wealth. Its potential is limitless. Likewise, Ukraine generally is a nice beneficiary on commerce, within the means of rebuilding its nation,” he stated.

The U.S. president stated he had knowledgeable President Volodymyr Zelensky in regards to the name with Vladimir Putin, in addition to a number of European leaders.

A supply within the President’s Workplace advised the Kyiv Impartial that Trump and Zelensky spoke twice on the day — as soon as earlier than the scheduled name with Putin and once more after it.

The second dialog lasted for over an hour and included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Antonio Costa.

Putin’s international coverage aide, Yuri Ushakov, advised Russian journalists that the presidents spoke for 2 hours and 5 minutes, with no point out of a ceasefire deadline.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described the telephone name between the 2 presidents as “productive” and highlighted Trump’s “impartial” stance on the conflict.

Chatting with reporters, Peskov stated, “Trump’s place is impartial and he does cope with settlement points, whereas the place of European politicians is overtly pro-Ukrainian.”

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Russia’s conflict towards Ukraine is waged not solely with missiles and tanks, however with distorted myths — highly effective narratives that romanticize empire, rewrite historical past, and embolden Russian troopers to scale back as soon as affluent cities to rubble. These exact same myths surfaced on the Photograph London Pageant from Might 15 to 18, the place

Zelensky dismisses Putin's demand to withdraw troops from 4 Ukrainian areas

Ukraine won’t withdraw troops from the territories it controls, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Might 19, rejecting Russian calls for put ahead by the nation’s delegation in Istanbul.

“It is our land, we cannot withdraw our troops from our territory,” Zelensky stated, responding to a query by the Kyiv Impartial. “It is a constitutional responsibility of mine, of our navy … No ultimatums, nobody will give up their lands, their individuals, their properties.”

Zelensky’s assertion follows inconclusive negotiations in Istanbul on Might 16, the place Moscow despatched a delegation of low-level officers and reiterated sweeping territorial calls for, together with Kyiv’s acceptance of the lack of Crimea and 4 jap areas.

A supply within the Ukrainian President’s Workplace briefed on the talks advised the Kyiv Impartial on Might 16 that Moscow’s delegation insisted that Ukraine retreat from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, regardless of Russia not controlling any of them of their entirety.

“It implies that they (Russia) don’t desire peace,” Zelensky stated. “In the event that they demand what they know we cannot conform to. As a result of they clearly perceive that Ukraine won’t do it,” he added.

Russia illegally declared the annexation of the 4 oblasts following sham referenda in late 2022, incorporating them into its structure — a transfer that holds no weight internationally.

Moscow continues to refuse to conform to a full ceasefire. Throughout a name with Trump, Putin stated he’s ready to barter a “memorandum relating to a possible future peace treaty.”

Russia’s maximalist place within the negotiations stays unchanged and calls for “eliminating the basis causes” of the conflict, the Russian president added.

Trump’s strategy to negotiations frustrates European allies, lots of whom sought his help for a joint U.S.–EU ultimatum demanding an unconditional ceasefire beginning Might 12 and more durable sanctions on Moscow.

Regardless of Russia’s refusal, no new U.S. sanctions have been imposed to this point.

Ukraine ‘not but in worst-case situation,’ McCain Institute head says

In October of final 12 months, simply days earlier than the U.S. presidential election, Head of the McCain Institute Evelyn Farkas advised the Kyiv Impartial {that a} Donald Trump victory can be the “worst-case situation” for Ukraine. Within the months since, a victorious Trump has taken workplace, dismantled the worldwide post-World

Lieutenant Colonel Bohdan Shevchuk was dismissed because the commander of the 59th Brigade of the Unmanned Programs Forces and changed by Colonel Oleksandr Sak, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Might 18, citing its sources within the brigade.

The 59th Brigade, deployed within the Pokrovsk sector in Donetsk Oblast, underwent the emergency management change between Might 15 and 16 on the order of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, one navy supply advised the information outlet.

The Kyiv Impartial couldn’t confirm the claims.

The brigade’s new reported commander, Sak, beforehand led the 53rd Mechanized Brigade preventing within the Kreminna space.

The explanations behind the transfer haven’t been disclosed, although Ukrainska Pravda’s sources steered it might be linked to the worsening state of affairs within the Pokrovsk sector.

The mining city has been the epicenter of a number of the heaviest battles in Donetsk Oblast as Russian forces have been making an attempt to seize the strategically essential settlement for months.

Syrskyi claimed earlier in Might that Ukraine has managed to stabilize the state of affairs within the sector and seize the initiative in some areas.

The 59th Brigade, beforehand named the 59th Motorized Rifle Brigade, got here underneath Syrskyi’s scrutiny in July 2024 after Azovstal defender and medic Kateryna Polishchuk, recognized underneath the nickname Ptashka (“fowl”), referred to as for an investigation into the unit over Shevchuk’s alleged misconduct.

The unit was reorganized into an assault brigade underneath the Unmanned Programs Forces in January 2025, however retained its commander on the time.

‘It’s our land’ — Zelensky responds to Putin’s name with Trump

A supply within the President’s Workplace advised the Kyiv Impartial that Trump and Zelensky spoke twice on Might 19 — as soon as earlier than the scheduled name with Putin and once more after it.

Ukrainian drones destroy Russian radar, provide depots on Black Sea gasoline platforms, SBU says

The Safety Service of Ukraine (SBU) has destroyed a Russian radar system and warehouse services situated on gasoline manufacturing platforms within the Black Sea utilizing a coordinated drone strike, the company stated on Might 19.

In keeping with the SBU, the operation was carried out by the thirteenth Foremost Directorate of its Navy Counter-Intelligence Division. The mission concerned a mixture of aerial and naval drones concentrating on Russian navy infrastructure positioned on Ukrainian offshore drilling rigs.

An aerial drone allegedly first struck one of many platforms, adopted by a naval drone that delivered a secondary hit. The assault destroyed a Russian “Neva” radar system used for monitoring aerial and floor exercise, in addition to provide storage and residing quarters on the platform, the SBU reported.

“In a single particular operation, our specialists used two sorts of drones that proved extremely efficient when working in tandem,” the company stated.

The SBU famous that the assault is a part of an ongoing effort to clear the Black Sea of Russian navy presence and gear. Earlier SBU naval drone operations have reportedly focused the Crimean Bridge and 11 Russian warships.

The Kyiv Impartial couldn’t confirm the claims.

The SBU historically makes use of its Sea Child drones for operations within the Black Sea, whereas navy intelligence (HUR) deploys the Magura naval drones.

In early Might, Ukraine shot down two Russian Su-30 fighter jets utilizing air-to-air missiles fired from Magura-7 naval drones and two Russian Mi-8 helicopters in December 2024.

The Magura drones additionally sank the Russian patrol ship Sergey Kotov on March 5, 2024, and the touchdown ship Caesar Kunikov on Feb. 14, 2024.

As of 2024, Ukraine was reportedly capable of destroy or disable one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in a drone and missile marketing campaign, regardless of Moscow’s important benefit in sheer naval energy.

‘Robust EU sanctions’ coming quickly, US anticipated to sanction Russian banks, power, Zelensky says

Ukraine is aware of the date that the EU bundle will go into impact, although the president didn’t share that element in his remarks. Zelensky additionally stated he expects the U.S. to impose sanctions ‘once they see match.’

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