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.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys speaks to journalists as he arrives at a Foreign Affairs Council at the European Council headquarters in Brussels on Jan. 27, 2025. (Nicolas Tucat / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine's allies must impose stricter measures on Russia "sooner than later" to prevent Moscow from dragging out peace talks and escalating its demands, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told The Kyiv Independent on April 1.
"So, in purpose to cut this trend, in purpose to stop this scenario, we have to show and introduce the hard measures sooner than later," Budrys said.
His remarks come amid U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Despite Trump's mediation, Moscow rejected a full 30-day ceasefire agreed upon between Ukraine and the U.S. in Jeddah on March 11, demanding concessions that would weaken Kyiv's defenses, including halting foreign military aid.
Although Washington managed to secure a partial ceasefire, Russia went on to strike energy infrastructure in Kherson on March 27, contradicting its own claims that it would refrain from such attacks.
Budrys stressed that Western powers must apply direct pressure to force Moscow to negotiate in good faith. "We haven't seen in history that Russia, without exact pressure, would agree on anything," he said.
While Trump has floated the idea of additional sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil, he has yet to take concrete action. Budrys called for setting deadlines to prevent Russia from prolonging negotiations and insisted that the West's commitment to Ukraine must remain firm.
"Now we are pressed in time, and we are pressed in the demand, and it is needed more from Europe to do now. Because we cannot rely, as the U.S. administration is showing us, so much on American capabilities," Budrys added.
While the U.S. refuses to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, several European nations have been preparing plans to send troops to Ukraine as part of a "reassurance force" in case a ceasefire is reached.
France is advocating for a European-led deployment along the Dnipro River, according to an unnamed French official cited by the Associated Press. Other proposals include stationing forces in western Ukraine or a neighboring country.
French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed for the mission even without U.S. involvement, while U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged European allies to secure U.S. backing before moving forward.
