{"id":6511,"date":"2025-05-21T00:01:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T00:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/ukraine-war-latest-russia-is-trying-to-buy-time-to-continue-the-war-zelensky-says-after-putin-trump-call\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T00:01:43","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T00:01:43","slug":"ukraine-war-latest-russia-is-trying-to-buy-time-to-continue-the-war-zelensky-says-after-putin-trump-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/ukraine-war-latest-russia-is-trying-to-buy-time-to-continue-the-war-zelensky-says-after-putin-trump-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine war latest: &#8216;Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war&#8217; \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/fd0d9d5c4438dcaa95c1a8bd467e8c30_1686065778.jpeg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><\/p>\n<p><strong>Key developments on May 20:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>&#8216;Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war&#8217; \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call<\/li>\n<li>EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet<\/li>\n<li>Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine<\/li>\n<li>Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from Czech initiative, Ukraine&#8217;s PM says<\/li>\n<li>Trump administration considers deporting nearly 200,000 Ukrainians using foreign aid funds, WP reports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war in Ukraine, President <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/russia-is-trying-to-buy-time-to-continue-the-war-and-occupation-zelensky-says-after-putin-trump-call\/\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> said on May 20, reacting to a recent call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.<\/p>\n<p>Zelensky&#8217;s statement follows his call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, during which the Ukrainian leader told his counterpart about his May 19 phone call with <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/trump-trusts-putin-believes-he-wants-peace-in-ukraine\/\">Trump<\/a>, as well as the latter&#8217;s talks with Putin.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war and occupation,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZelenskyyUa\/status\/1924754314397958609\">Zelensky<\/a> said on X. &#8220;We are working with our partners to pressure the Russians to change their behavior.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Zelensky thanked partners who continue to impose sanctions on Russia for its aggression in Ukraine and stressed that the war should end at the negotiating table.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Clear and realistic proposals must be on the table. Ukraine is ready for any effective negotiation format. And if Russia continues to put forward unrealistic conditions and undermine possible results, there must be harsh consequences,&#8221; Zelensky said.<\/p>\n<p>Axios <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/zelensky-had-to-remind-trump-peace-talks-already-underway-axios-reports\/\">reported<\/a> on May 20 that Zelensky had to remind Trump that negotiations with Russia are already underway after Trump announced to EU leaders the Kremlin&#8217;s readiness for talks, citing sources present at the call.<\/p>\n<p>The exchange <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/05\/20\/trump-putin-call-european-leaders-zelensky\">reportedly<\/a> took place during a <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/after-call-with-trump-putin-again-refuses-ceasefire-cites-russias-root-causes-of-war-in-ukraine\/\">phone call<\/a> involving Trump, Zelensky, and the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Finland, and the European Union. <\/p>\n<p>It followed Trump&#8217;s earlier call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the Russian leader provided vague assurances about peace efforts but again rejected a ceasefire in <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump told the leaders that Putin agreed to start direct negotiations on a ceasefire immediately, which led to a few seconds of &#8220;puzzled silence&#8221; during the call, Axios&#8217; source said.<\/p>\n<p>Zelensky then reminded Trump that Putin had previously agreed to this, and the first round of direct talks had already taken place on May 16 in <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/ukraine-russia-peace-talks-in-istanbul-reportedly-end-after-nearly-an-hour\/\">Istanbul<\/a>, marking the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022. Trump did not directly respond, the sources said.<\/p>\n<p>The Ukrainian president and other leaders also pointed out to Trump that it had been his idea to start the peace talks with an immediate <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/its-all-a-farce-ukrainian-soldiers-react-to-peace-talks-in-istanbul\/\">30-day ceasefire<\/a>, according to Axios.<\/p>\n<p>Participants on the call reportedly seemed &#8220;surprised&#8221; that Trump was &#8220;relatively content&#8221; with what he heard from Putin. Even though the Kremlin&#8217;s position has not changed, Trump presented this as a new development in the <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/peace-negotiations\/\">negotiation process<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\"><a class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/trump-doesnt-know-how-to-deal-with-gangsters-us-lets-ukraine-down-once-again\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">\u2018Trump doesn\u2019t know how to deal with gangsters\u2019 \u2014 US lets Ukraine down, once again<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">In what is now a semi-regular occurrence, the workings of U.S.-led global diplomacy has cast a dark shadow over Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on May 19 in the latest attempt to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. The call came<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/size\/w256h256\/format\/png\/2023\/03\/K-new.svg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><span class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">The Kyiv Independent<\/span><span class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Chris York<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2214408470-2.jpg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"eu-approves-17th-package-of-russia-sanctions-targets-shadow-fleet\"><code>EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet<\/code><\/h2>\n<p>The EU has <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/eu-adopts-17th-russia-sanctions-package-targeting-shadow-fleet-hybrid-threats\/\">formally approved<\/a> its 17th package of sanctions imposed on Russia over aggression in Ukraine, including measures against almost 200 shadow fleet vessels, top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas announced on May 20.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;New measures also address hybrid threats and human rights. More sanctions on Russia are in the works,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kajakallas\/status\/1924760161098359274\">Kallas said on X.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The step comes as the U.S. signals disinterest in imposing additional sanctions against Russia, even as Moscow refuses Western-backed ceasefire proposals.<\/p>\n<p>The 17th package was supported by EU ambassadors <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/eu-agrees-on-17th-package-of-russia-sanctions-source-says\/\">last week<\/a>, but has since then been <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/despite-the-hype-eu-russia-sanctions\/\">criticized<\/a> as weak and watered down.<\/p>\n<p>The new sanctions target members of Russia\u2019s military and political elite and foreign entities in China or the United Arab Emirates, accused of helping the Kremlin evade already-imposed measures.<\/p>\n<p>The EU will also sanction more than 20 entities and individuals disseminating disinformation, and 20 judges and prosecutors involved in legal cases against Russian opposition, specifically <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/vladimir-kara-murza\/\">Vladimir Kara-Murza<\/a> and late <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/navalnys-posthumous-memoir-falls-short-on-ukraine\/\">Alexei Navalny.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The package also targets components vital to Russia\u2019s defense industry, namely chemicals, materials, and dual-use goods.<\/p>\n<p>The EU has threatened Russia with additional sanctions unless President Vladimir Putin commits to a ceasefire and agrees to seriously engage in peace efforts. President <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/strong-eu-sanctions-coming-soon-us-expected-to-sanction-russian-banks-energy-zelensky-says\/\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> also announced that a new &#8220;strong EU <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/sanctions\/\">sanctions<\/a> package&#8221; is underway.<\/p>\n<p>While European leaders have <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/eu-coordinating-russia-sanctions-in-cooperation-with-us-germany-says\/\">proclaimed<\/a> that additional sanctions are coordinated with Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump, who held a phone call with Putin on May 19, said he does not intend to impose new measures on Moscow to avoid disrupting peace efforts.<\/p>\n<p><!--kg-card-begin: html--><\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcodePatreon__wrapper\">\n  <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" class=\"shortcodePatreon\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/membership\/?utm_source=article-top5pic-monthly&amp;utm_medium=top5-banner\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcodePatreon__content\">\n<div class=\"shortcodePatreon__content_title\">Join our <span class=\"shortcodePatreon__content_title-underline\">community<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcodePatreon__content_subtitle\">Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight.<\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcodePatreon__btn\">Support Us<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shortcodePatreon__img\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/join-our-community-light-bg-14.png\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\">\n      <\/div>\n<p>  <\/a>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--kg-card-end: html--><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"rubio-says-us-nato-seek-more-patriot-air-defense-systems-for-ukraine\"><code>Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine<\/code><\/h2>\n<p>The United States is working with NATO partners to locate additional Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/us-nato-seek-more-patriot-systems-for-ukraine-rubio-says\/\">Marco Rubio<\/a> said on May 20 during Senate testimony on the State Department&#8217;s budget.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a> has consistently warned that its current <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/air-defense\/\">air defense<\/a> capacity is insufficient to counter the scale of Russia&#8217;s intensified missile and drone attacks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The U.S. is looking for <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/patriot\/\">Patriot<\/a> batteries to be able to transfer from other <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/nato\/\">NATO<\/a> nations into Ukrainian hands,&#8221; Rubio told lawmakers, adding that no country is willing to give up these systems, and the U.S. cannot produce them quickly enough.<\/p>\n<p>Kyiv has requested more Patriots to shield cities and critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n<p>In an April 13 interview with CBS News, President <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/ukraine-ready-to-buy-10-patriot-systems-for-15-billion-zelensky-says\/\">Volodymyr Zelensky<\/a> said Ukraine is ready to buy 10 U.S.-made Patriot systems for $15 billion.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We will find the money and pay for everything,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite Kyiv&#8217;s appeals, U.S. President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/trump-dismisses-zelenskys-proposal-to-buy-10-patriot-systems-blames-him-for-starting-war\/\">dismissed the request<\/a>, accusing Zelensky of &#8220;always looking to purchase missiles&#8221; and falsely blaming Ukraine for provoking the war.<\/p>\n<p>The Patriot is a high-precision, U.S.-made surface-to-air missile platform capable of intercepting aircraft, cruise missiles, and <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ballistic-missile\/\">ballistic<\/a> threats. Zelensky has <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/more-patriot-systems-for-ukraine-the-best-support-from-us-now-zelensky-says\/\">repeatedly<\/a> said Ukraine needs at least seven more systems to defend its most at-risk regions.<\/p>\n<p>The New York Times <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/us-to-reportedly-send-refurbished-patriot-system-from-israel-to-ukraine\/\">reported<\/a> on May 4, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that a Patriot system currently based in Israel will be transferred to Ukraine following refurbishment. Western allies are also reportedly reviewing whether to reallocate systems from Germany or Greece.<\/p>\n<p>Kyiv currently operates eight Patriot systems, though only six are functional, with two undergoing repairs, according to the publication.<\/p>\n<p>Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day unconditional <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ceasefire\/\">ceasefire<\/a> back in March.<\/p>\n<p>Moscow has continued its large-scale drone and missile strikes, including the largest <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/russia-launches-record-273-drone-attack-on-ukraine-ahead-of-planned-trump-putin-call\/\">drone assault<\/a> of the war on May 18, when 273 drones entered Ukrainian airspace.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\"><a class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/mariupol-defender-on-historic-azovstal-fight-and-brutal-russian-captivity\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">\u2018No one saw surrender as an option\u2019 \u2013 Mariupol defender on historic Azovstal fight and brutal Russian captivity<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">Warning: This article contains descriptions of graphic scenes. A bullet fired by a Russian sniper hit Azov Brigade member Artem Dubyna in the head and passed through his neck. \u201cHe\u2019s dead,\u201d crackled the message over the radio to his comrades. But Dubyna\u2019s heart was still beating. Evacuating his unconscious body<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/size\/w256h256\/format\/png\/2023\/03\/K-new.svg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><span class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">The Kyiv Independent<\/span><span class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Daria Shulzhenko<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/DSC_2140.jpg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"kyiv-to-receive-400000-more-shells-from-czech-initiative-ukraines-pm-says\"><code>Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from Czech initiative, Ukraine's PM says<\/code><\/h2>\n<p>Ukraine will receive 400,000 additional <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/kyiv-to-receive-400-000-more-shells-from-czech-initiative-ukraines-pm-says\/\">artillery shells<\/a> in 2025 through the Czech-led munitions initiative, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on May 20 on Telegram.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/czech-foreign-minister-ammunition-initiative-is-key-part-of-ukraines-defense-but-needs-more-supporters-money\/\">initiative<\/a>, supported by contributions from Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and other nations, has significantly enhanced Ukraine&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/artillery\/\">artillery<\/a> capabilities. Launched in 2024, it has become a vital supplement to the country&#8217;s firepower amid shell shortages.<\/p>\n<p>Following a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Shmyhal said <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a> received around 1.5 million artillery shells of various calibers through the initiative in 2024.<\/p>\n<p>He announced that <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/czechia\/\">Czechia<\/a> has increased its annual aid allocation to Ukraine to over $43 million. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Prague has provided $900 million in <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/military-aid\/\">military assistance<\/a> to Kyiv.<\/p>\n<p>Fiala and Shmyhal also discussed expanding cooperation on weapons production, economic support, and humanitarian assistance.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We will strengthen the integration of the Ukrainian and Czech defense industries,&#8221; Shmyhal <a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/Denys_Smyhal\/10238\">wrote<\/a>. &#8220;In addition, we agreed to cooperate in training Ukrainian pilots of F-16 airplanes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Czechia has played a leading role within the EU in rallying military <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/czechs-crowdfund-money-to-purchase-black-hawk-helicopter-for-ukraine\/\">support<\/a> for Ukraine and has hosted hundreds of thousands of <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/refugees\/\">refugees<\/a> since the start of the war.<\/p>\n<p>The country&#8217;s opposition party, ANO, has threatened to suspend the munitions initiative if it wins parliamentary elections in October 2025.<\/p>\n<p>ANO deputy leader Karel Havlicek made the remarks in January, raising concerns about the future of one of Ukraine&#8217;s most reliable arms pipelines.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-bookmark-card\"><a class=\"kg-bookmark-container\" href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/as-russias-fiber-optic-drones-flood-the-battlefield-ukraine-is-racing-to-catch-up\/\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-content\">\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-title\">As Russia\u2019s fiber optic drones flood the battlefield, Ukraine is racing to catch up<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-description\">Editor\u2019s Note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. Every year, as the way war is fought constantly evolves on the battlefields of Ukraine, the visuals of the fighting on the ground that<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-metadata\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"kg-bookmark-icon\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.kyivindependent.com\/content\/images\/size\/w256h256\/format\/png\/2023\/03\/K-new.svg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><span class=\"kg-bookmark-author\">The Kyiv Independent<\/span><span class=\"kg-bookmark-publisher\">Francis Farrell<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"kg-bookmark-thumbnail\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/GettyImages-2207798240-1-5.jpg\" alt=\"Ukraine war latest: 'Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war' \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call\"><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"trump-administration-considers-deporting-nearly-200000-ukrainians-using-foreign-aid-funds-wp-reports\"><code>Trump administration considers deporting nearly 200,000 Ukrainians using foreign aid funds, WP reports<\/code><\/h2>\n<p>Washington plans to spend about $250 million of foreign aid funds to repatriate people from active conflict zones, including about 200,000 Ukrainians and 500,000 Haitians, the <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/trump-administration-considers-deporting-nearly-200-000-ukrainians-using-foreign-aid-funds-wp-reports\/\">Washington Post<\/a> reported on May 20, citing the draft internal documents the newspaper obtained.<\/p>\n<p>During <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/joe-biden\/\">Joe Biden&#8217;s presidency<\/a>, Ukrainians and Haitians were granted temporary protection, allowing them to stay in the U.S. if they could not return to their home country.<\/p>\n<p>With the Trump administration coming to office, the U.S. has tightened its immigration policy. <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">U.S. President Donald Trump<\/a> previously pledged to impose harsher legislation on migrants and launch the &#8220;largest deportation program in U.S. history,&#8221; aimed at removing 15 to 20 million migrants from the country.<\/p>\n<p>According to the draft internal documents, the proposal was prepared after the Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on May 5. The statement read that those immigrants who voluntarily leave the U.S. for their home countries would be eligible for $1,000 in assistance.<\/p>\n<p>Besides Ukrainians and Haitians, the draft documents also mention Afghans, Palestinians, Libyans, Sudanese, Syrians, and Yemenis, who could become other targets of the deportation program, the WP reported.<\/p>\n<p>Tricia McLaughlin, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, verified the documents&#8217; authenticity, but described them as &#8220;outdated.&#8221; McLaughlin added that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has not made a &#8220;final&#8221; decision on temporary protected status for Haiti or <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/\">Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the draft documents reviewed by the newspaper, the State Department&#8217;s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) will fund the voluntary resettlement program using funds allocated by Congress for charter flights or commercial airfare.<\/p>\n<p>The State Department has acknowledged that it is working with the Department of Homeland Security to provide &#8220;travel support and financial incentives&#8221; to encourage migrants to leave the country voluntarily.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump administration&#8217;s proposal has been criticized, including by former government officials who called it inhumane and counter to long-held U.S. ideals, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2025\/05\/20\/trump-deporations-ukrainians-haitians\/\">WP<\/a> reported.<\/p>\n<p>According to the plan&#8217;s opponents, the Trump administration is forcing asylum seekers to return to countries where they are &#8220;at risk of being killed.&#8221; They also questioned whether the plan constitutes an abuse of foreign aid funds intended primarily to support refugees and their resettlement.<\/p>\n<p>In late January, Washington suspended acceptance of applications from Ukrainians for asylum under the <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/us-suspends-programs-for-entry-of-migrants-including-ukrainians\/https:\/kyivindependent.com\/us-suspends-programs-for-entry-of-migrants-including-ukrainians\/\">Uniting for Ukraine program<\/a>. This program allowed for two years of asylum in the U.S., as well as the right to work, study, and have health insurance, among other benefits.<\/p>\n<p>There are about 200,000 Ukrainian refugees in the U.S., according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/data.unhcr.org\/en\/situations\/ukraine\">United Nations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 id=\"note-from-the-author\">Note from the author:<\/h2>\n<p><em>Ukraine War Latest is put together by the Kyiv Independent news desk team, who keep you informed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you value our work and want to ensure we have the resources to continue, <a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/membership\/\" rel=\"dofollow\"><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong><strong>join the Kyiv Independent community<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"kg-card kg-embed-card\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"200\" height=\"113\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3RBIf7ynDQM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen title=\"Putin no-show at peace talks and new Russian offensive | Ukraine This Week\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p> &#8211; https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/tag\/ukraine\/rss\/<\/p>\n<p>This article appeared on the websitekyivindependent.com<br \/>\nThis article is taken based on Law no. 8\/1996 of Romania. News does not enjoy copyright, so they can be taken, this is our right to take news and information in its entirety and distribute them further. The content was made available to us through the rss mechanism<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/kyivindependent.com\/ukraine-war-latest-80\/\">Original Content<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key developments on May 20: &#8216;Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war&#8217; \u2014 Zelensky says after Putin-Trump call EU approves 17th package of Russia sanctions, targets shadow fleet Rubio says US, NATO seek more Patriot air defense systems for Ukraine Kyiv to receive 400,000 more shells from Czech initiative, Ukraine&#8217;s PM says<a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.euro-tv.ro\/news\/ukraine-war-latest-russia-is-trying-to-buy-time-to-continue-the-war-zelensky-says-after-putin-trump-call\/\"> [&hellip;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6512,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1152,1],"tags":[579,357,1197,618,185,1153,6456,1171,51,187,380,123,346,66,2,538,1167],"class_list":["post-6511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kyivindependent","category-news","tag-after","tag-buy","tag-call","tag-continue","tag-is","tag-latest","tag-putin-trump","tag-russia","tag-says","tag-the","tag-time","tag-to","tag-trying","tag-ukraine","tag-usersbook","tag-war","tag-zelensky"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Ukraine war latest: &#039;Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war&#039; 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