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.
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.
A Ukrainian soldier carries shells to their front line position in the direction of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on July 22, 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian government will earmark Hr 175 billion ($4.8 billion) for the purchase of shells and missiles as part of the country's 2024 defense budget, said Deputy Defense Minister Yurii Dzhyhyr on Nov. 24.
Dzhyhyr also said that another Hr 80 billion ($2.2 billion) will go towards the purchase of military equipment. Another top priority is to repair damaged military equipment, as well as purchase spare parts, he added.
As much as possible, the Ukrainian government will try to make purchases from domestic suppliers.
"According to our estimates, more than Hr 190 billion ($5.2 billion) from the funds that will be contracted next year will remain with domestic producer(s)," Dzhyhyr said.
The delivery of shells from the U.S. has dropped in recent months as the stability of continued aid from Ukraine's largest supplier of military aid increasingly comes into question.
Hopes that Ukraine's European allies may be able to fill in the gaps in shell provisions were also likely proving to be overly optimistic, as Bloomberg reported on Nov. 10 that the EU pledge to deliver one million shells to Ukraine by March 2024 was behind its target.
At the same time, Russia has dramatically increased the size of its military budget for 2024 and has reportedly received over one million shells from North Korea.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Anna Myroniuk
