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.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks during a debate at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Nov. 22, 2023. (Frederick Florin/AFP via Getty Images)
The EU must strengthen its cooperation with Central Asian nations to crack down on the circumvention of sanctions targeting Russia, the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in a speech at the Global Gateways investment forum in Brussels on Jan. 29.
Despite Western sanctions against the export of dual-use technology or other components with potential military use to Russia, Western materials have continued to show up in Russia, often transported through third party countries.
Central Asian nations like Kyrgyzstan have seen a dramatic increase in imports since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, raising concern in the West that the spike is related to the illicit transport of sanctioned weapons components.
"In order for these sanctions to be effective, we need full cooperation from our partners," Borrell said.
"We are following closely the trade between us, between Central Asia countries, with them and Russia. We try to analyze which are the mechanisms that make sanctions being circumvented. We have to increase our cooperation on that."
Central Asia has become a significantly more important economic partner to the EU in recent years, Borrell said. But at the same time, the economic ties are linked to the "security dimension," he added.
Furthering the economic connections between the EU and Central Asia is a priority, but it should also be connected to a "political purpose," part of which is "defending the same values," Borrell said.
Katie Marie Davies
