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.
Photo for illustrative purposes: China's President Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) during the opening ceremony of "The Year of Chinese Tourism in Russia" in Moscow, on March 22, 2013. (Sergei Ilnitskii / POOL / AFP)
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 27 that Beijing denies allegations of helping Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
During their meeting in Laos, Wang Yi also emphasized that China would take "forceful measures" to protect its interests, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The two diplomats met on the sidelines of a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
China's already robust economic, diplomatic, and military ties with Russia have grown stronger since Russia's all-out war with Ukraine that began in February 2022. Meanwhile, China has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict, dispatching envoy Li Hui to Europe for multiple rounds of shuttle diplomacy.
China has accused the United States and other Western nations of exacerbating the war by supplying arms to Ukraine.
NATO has labeled Beijing a "decisive enabler" of the conflict. However, Beijing has rejected claims that it supports Russia’s war effort, asserting last week that its stance is "open and above board."
The U.S. has imposed sanctions on Chinese companies selling equipment to Russia, which Washington believes could aid the war effort.
"The U.S. should stop indiscriminate unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction," Wang Yi reportedly told Blinken, according to the statement.
"China is opposed to being smeared and to false accusations being made against it, does not accept pressure and blackmail, and will take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its major interests and legitimate rights," Wang added.
China has never condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accuses NATO of disregarding Russia's security concerns. However, last year, official Beijing emphasized the need to respect the territorial integrity of all countries, including Ukraine.
"China’s position on the Ukrainian issue is candid, and we will continue to promote peace talks between Russia and Ukraine," said Wang.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Kateryna Denisova
