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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
The third Crimean Platform summit held in Kyiv on Aug. 23, 2023. (Source: Presidential Office)
Ukraine's partners attending the Crimea Platform on Aug. 23 have pledged new assistance to Kyiv, including military aid, reconstruction support, and fresh sanctions against Russia.
According to Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the forum has been joined by representatives from up to 67 countries and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo announced at a joint press conference with Zelensky in Kyiv that Finland will soon present its 18th military aid package for Ukraine. He also affirmed the commitment of his country to participate in Ukraine's reconstruction.
Lithuania's President Gitanas Nausėda, also present in Ukraine's capital, said that the NASAMS air defense launchers earlier pledged by Vilnius will be delivered in September.
In another move in support of Kyiv, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new sanctions against Russia during the forum, targeting four individuals and 29 entities, mainly those involved in the country's nuclear sector.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida further pledged to provide various assistance to Ukraine worth up to $7 billion and to share the country's experience with post-war reconstruction.
In the framework of the summit, the participants addressed the fallout of the Black Sea Grain Initiative's collapse, which was unilaterally terminated by Russia earlier in July.
Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković reiterated his country's earlier pledge to provide its ports to export Ukrainian grain.
"Tomorrow, I will be discussing with the Croatian Government the allocation of 40 million euros ($48 million) in aid to Ukraine," the prime minister also announced in his speech.
To further aid Ukraine in exporting its grain, the Danube Commission, an international body concerned with the maintenance and navigation of the Danube River, announced it is ready to help increase the volume of Ukrainian goods shipped out through the Romanian port of Constanta.
Kyiv is hosting the third summit of the Crimean Platform, an international consultation and coordination format aimed at ensuring the liberation of the peninsula from the Russian occupation.
Since its inaugural summit on Aug. 23, 2021, it has gathered participants from dozens of countries in Europe, North America, Asia, and elsewhere, as well as non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, including the EU.
Russia has been occupying the peninsula since 2014 after the Euromaidan Revolution ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
