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.
Burned trees as a wildfire rages near the southern Russian city of Novorossiysk on July 14, 2024. (Mayor Andrei Kravchenko/Telegram)
Wildfires have spread around the southern Russian city of Novorossiysk, prompting evacuations and Mayor Andrei Kravchenko to declare a state of emergency on July 14.
Kravchenko said on the morning of July 15 that more than 300 people, including workers from the Emergency Situations Ministry and other volunteers, were at work fighting forest fires in the area. The blaze had spread to at least 153 acres as of the early morning of July 15.
The fire immediately impacted several recreation centers around the city, and around 500 people have been evacuated so far, Kravchenko said.
Buses were made available to help evacuate people from the area, and boats were on standby to facilitate the rescue of people from the sea as well, Kravchenko added.
Novorossiysk has a population of around 260,000 and is located about 160 kilometers (99 miles) southeast of occupied Crimea.
Wildfires occur across Russia annually. There was no indication at the time of this publication that the fire near Novorossiysk was caused by a drone strike or other attack in the area.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Nate Ostiller
