The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
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.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell gestures during a press conference on April 8, 2024. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images)
The EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, urged on Aug. 26 to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western long-range weapons to strike Russian military targets.
Borrell had previously advocated lifting the ban for Ukraine, but he raised the issue again after Russia's recent attack on Aug. 26, in which it used 127 missiles and 109 drones against Ukraine.
Russian forces targeted 15 oblasts, damaging civilian and energy infrastructure. At least seven people were killed, and 47 suffered injuries, including four children, according to the State Emergency Service.
"Russia escalated its aggression with renewed massive attacks across Ukraine, targeting civilian infrastructure, including hydroelectric stations, and causing casualties," Borrell wrote on X.
"Lifting restrictions on the use of capabilities against the Russian military involved in aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international law, would strengthen Ukrainian self-defense, save lives, and reduce destruction in Ukraine," Borrell added.
The EU's chief diplomat also stressed Ukraine's urgent need for additional air defense.
Borrell said that he will discuss the recent Russian attack and boosting of Ukrainian air defense with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and EU foreign ministers at an informal meeting on Aug. 29.
Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of long-range weapons are stifling its war effort, while Western partners believe that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with the weapons they provide could be a cause for escalation.
In May, the U.S. allowed Ukraine to use HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, GMLRS rockets, and artillery against Russian territory near the Ukrainian border.
But the U.S. and U.K. still prohibit Ukraine from using U.S.-made ATACMS missiles and British-made Storm Shadow missiles for strikes deeper inside Russia.
Ukraine has dismissed these arguments and has amped up pressure to lift the ban in recent weeks following the Kursk incursion on Aug. 6.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Dinara Khalilova
