Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for Saturday's grand final.
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.
The Estonian parliament building in Tallinn, Estonia, on Nov. 16, 2011. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Estonia's cabinet approved a proposal to deliver another package of military aid for Ukraine on Nov. 16, the country's Defense Ministry announced.
The latest aid package will include an unspecified amount of munitions and military equipment, including naval uniforms, observation equipment, sights, and protective equipment. It was not immediately clear as to when the package is expected to arrive in Ukraine.
The approval comes just days after Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur visited Kyiv on Nov. 11, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and broadly announced a new aid package for Ukraine consisting of "clothing" and "small arms."
"Ukraine continues to need help from Estonia and the free world to protect itself. This time, the aid package has been put together from the reserves of our defense forces, taking into account the needs of Ukraine, and still in such a way that Estonia's defense capability does not suffer," Pevkur said in a statement.
"This aid package will not be the last, and in the near future we will open a competition-based annual support measure for Estonian companies, which will enable Ukraine to assist with the production of the Estonian defense industry," Pevkur added.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on Nov. 8 that Estonian arms company Frankenburg Technologies will transfer air defense missiles to Ukraine for testing.
Estonia has been among Kyiv's staunchest supporters since the start of the full-scale invasion began, offering humanitarian, developmental, and military assistance.
Estonia and Ukraine signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on June 26. The deal stipulates that Estonia will supply Ukraine with defense aid worth more than 100 million euros ($107 million).
Estonia has provided over 500 million euros ($527 million) in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, amounting to 1.4% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), ranking among the top military supporters of Ukraine as a percentage of the country's GDP.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Dmytro Basmat
