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.
The detail of a Russian multiple rocket launch shell close to a residential house in the village of Yahidne, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine, April 20, 2022. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Most of the foreign parts found in Russian weapons used on the battlefield against Ukraine come from China, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to Ukraine's President's Office, said on Sept. 24.
China has positioned itself as neutral in the ongoing war but has deepened economic ties with Russia and became Moscow's leading source of dual-use goods during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, fueling the Kremlin's war machine.
"If you take all the usual types of weapons and count the foreign made components, about 60% would be coming from China," Vlasiuk said in comments reported by Reuters, calling Beijing "the biggest problem."
Vlasiuk said that Kyiv held talks with some manufacturers on the issue, without providing further details.
Important parts used in surveillance systems, drones and missiles also come from countries including the U.S., the Netherlands, Japan and Switzerland, he added.
Despite extensive Western sanctions aimed at cutting off supply lines, Russia continues to obtain sanctioned goods, such as microchips, via third-party countries.
Kyiv's allies have sought to halt the Kremlin's ability to circumvent sanctions. One of the EU's sanctions package included a ban for third-country entities to re-export sensitive goods to Russia.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia uses dozens of critical components from abroad to produce all its missiles. Missiles launched at Kyiv in one of the spring attacks had an estimated total of 1,500 foreign parts.
Asami Terajima
