In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on May 13, citing three undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Illustrative image: Soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the unit of the mobile air defense group shoot down enemy drones using the ZU-23-2 Soviet 23-mm twin anti-aircraft gun on April 16, 2024 in an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Ukrainian air defense units destroyed 23 of the 24 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight, the Air Force reported on May 5.
The Russian drones were launched from the neighbouring Kursk Oblast of Russia, as well as from Cape Chauda in occupied Crimea.
All of the drones Russia launched were intercepted over Kharkiv, Kherson, and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force were involved in repelling the air attacks.
Earlier in the night, Russia launched drone attack on Kharkiv, setting fire to at least three residential homes in the city of Kharkiv and injuring one man. Debris from shooting down the drones in the Osnovianskyi district of the city reportedly caused the fire.
Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. Overnight on May 4, Ukrainian air defenses destroyed all 13 Shahed-type drones that Russia launched overnight.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Rachel Amran
