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.
Construction of fortifications in Zaporizhzhia as contractors, in cooperation with the military, build state-of-the-art shelters for personnel that will protect them from artillery fire and FPV drones, March 24, 2024. (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
The construction of fortifications in Zaporizhzhia and nearby settlements is nearly finished, regional Governor Ivan Fedorov said on Nov. 30.
Ukraine has been building heavy fortifications near the city of Zaporizhzhia in preparations for a potential Russian offensive in the region.
"We are completing the next stage of fortification construction. ... The multi-level defense of Zaporizhzhia and nearby settlements is almost complete," Fedorov said via Telegram.
Fedorov said the designs for the fortifications have been "significantly improved" compared to previous versions and that the modernized defenses are particularly adept at repelling drone attacks.
Fedorov's announcement comes after warnings from Kyiv of a possible Russian push in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 25 that Ukraine is tracking Russian troop movement in the southern region, and has observed "existing threats."
Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, said on Nov. 11 that Russia could launch a renewed offensive on Zaporizhzhia Oblast "any day." Russia has also begun deploying assault groups to frontline positions in region, Voloshyn said.
Russia is also carrying out intense attacks in multiple sections of the eastern front, with attempts to break through Ukraine's defenses in Donetsk Oblast toward the towns of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
Russia is currently advancing at its fastest rate since 2022, according to analysts from the independent Russian outlet Agentstvo.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
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