Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Ukrainian servicemen with a military mobile air defense group shoot down Russian drones using anti-aircraft guns in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on April 16, 2024. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Ukrainian air defense shot down all of the 17 Shahed-type attack drones and seven of the 14 missiles launched by Russia overnight on June 14, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said.
Russia reportedly launched the drones from Yeysk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai and occupied Crimea, while the 10 Kh-101/Kh-555 cruise missiles were fired from Tu-95 bomber planes over Russia's Saratov Oblast.
Moscow's troops also launched three Iskander-M ballistic missiles from occupied Crimeaand Russia's Krasnodar Krai as well as oneKinzhal Kh-47M2 air-launched ballistic missile from Tambov region.
Ukraine intercepted drones and cruise missiles over Khmelnytskyi, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, and Kirovohrad oblasts, Oleshchuk said.
The full consequences of the strikes are being determined.
In recent months, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid.
As a result of the attacks on energy infrastructure, Ukraine began implementing rolling shutdowns on May 15, but they have dramatically increased in recent days.
Liliane Bivings
