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.
Two of the four suspects that threatened Yurii Nikolov. Jan. 21, 2024. (Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office/ Telegram)
Law enforcement in Kyiv identified the individuals that intimidated prominent Ukrainian journalist Yurii Nikolov, the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office reported on Jan. 21.
Authorities identified residents of Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy oblasts and searched the suspects’ homes. Law enforcement reportedly seized computer equipment and mobile phones used to record the threats.
Nikolov, who revealed procurement wrongdoing in the Defense Ministry under its previous leadership, said that at least two men approached his apartment on Jan. 14, aggressively banging on his door and verbally attacking him.
Shortly after, a video appeared on the anonymous Telegram channel Kartochnyy Ofis, allegedly linked to the Presidential Office. The footage shows a man knocking on a door pasted with papers with the words "traitor, (military service) evader," and other verbal attacks.
Nikolov is a co-founder and an editor of the Nashi Hroshi investigative media project. His investigations into inflated prices for food supplies and low-quality winter jackets for the military prompted the ousting of previous Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
Authorities opened criminal proceedings on Jan. 19. The penalty for obstructing journalists' work ranges from a fine to four years in prison.
The investigation is ongoing and the issue of serving the suspects a notice of suspicion is being decided. No names have been revealed.
Authorities are currently establishing the motive and circumstances behind the incident.
Dominic is the business reporter for the Kyiv Independent. He has written for a number of publications including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, Radio Free Europe/Liberty, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Previously, Dominic worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian fake news in Europe.
Dinara Khalilova
