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.
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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Czech President Petr Pavel during a meeting in Vilnius on April 11, 2024. (Ukraine's Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Czech President Petr Pavel discussed the ongoing defense cooperation between their countries, and Pavel confirmed his participation at the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland.
The peace summit will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16, and will focus on peace in Ukraine under the terms of Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, a plan that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands.
160 national delegations were invited to the peace summit, and numerous countries have committed their participation.
Participants of the global peace summit will formulate a common negotiating position on the outcome of the war and submit it to Russia, presidential spokesperson Sergii Nykyforov said on May 3, according to Deutsche Welle.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the Czech initiative to provide artillery ammunition and purchase shells for Ukraine.
Following Pavel’s initiative of sending 800,000 shells to Ukraine, multiple countries have contributed funds, including Belgium, France, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Poland, and Denmark. Up to 1.5 million rounds are set to be sent to Ukraine through the Czech-led project.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Kateryna Denisova
