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.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland on March 26, 2022. (AFP/Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden has called for "leadership and courage" in Washington in order to pass urgent military aid for Ukraine and Israel, adding "now is not the time to abandon our friends," in an op-ed published April 17.
"Both Ukraine and Israel are under attack by brazen adversaries that seek their annihilation," Biden wrote in the Wall Street Journal, adding: "Mr (Vladimir) Putin wants to subjugate the people of Ukraine and absorb their nation into a new Russian empire.
"The government of Iran wants to destroy Israel forever – wiping the world's only Jewish state off the map."
Assistance for Kyiv has been blocked by political wrangling for months, leading to a rapidly deteriorating situation on the battlefield.
While the Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan in February, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he instead plans to hold a vote on four separate bills in his chamber this week.
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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko
The bill faces resistance from hardline Republicans, who oppose assistance for Ukraine altogether, and there are fears that the party's right flank would seek to oust Johnson if he moves forward with the bill.
"It's a strong and sensible plan," Biden wrote. "It shouldn't be held hostage any longer by a small group of extreme Republican House members.
"Mr. Putin has tried relentlessly to break the will of the Ukrainian people. He has failed. Now he's trying to break the will of the West.
"We cannot let him succeed. There are moments in history that call for leadership and courage.
"This is one of them."
Shortly after the op-ed was published, Johnson announced he was moving forward with his plan to hold a vote on a series of foreign aid bills for Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan despite pressure from Republican hardliners, CNN reported on April 17.
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Martin Fornusek
