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.
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 Ukrainian, the EU and other EU countries' flags in front of the European Parliament on July 28, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
The Council of the EU has adopted the 12th package of sanctions against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Council said in a statement on Dec. 18.
The newly adopted measures include a ban on Russian diamonds, a crackdown on Russia's means to acquire military-use goods, tighter controls over the $60-per-barrel oil price cap, and further steps targeting Moscow's revenue amid the all-out war.
The ban on Russian diamonds is coordinated with the Group of Seven (G7) to cut Russia's revenues from the sale of precious stones. Russia is the world's largest diamond producer, earning around $4 billion from the diamond trade last year.
The EU imposed a direct ban on non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds, as well as diamond jewelry, starting Jan. 1. An indirect import ban on Russian diamonds processed in third-party countries will be phased in between March and September next year.
"With this 12th package, we are putting forward a robust set of new listings and economic measures which will further weaken Russia’s war machine," said Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat.
"Our message is clear... we remain steadfast in our commitment to Ukraine and will continue to support its fight for freedom and sovereignty."
The bloc further mandates EU exporters to contractually prohibit re-exporting sensitive dual-use goods or materials found on Ukrainian battlefields to Russia when dealing with third-party buyers.
"I welcome the political agreement on the 12th sanctions package," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen commented.
"We continue to stand with Ukraine, through thick and thin."
Further targeting Russia's ability to circumvent dual-use goods import restrictions, the EU sanctioned 29 new entities, including Russian companies supplying electronic components and third-country entities involved in sanctions circumvention.
The list of restricted items is further expanded to chemicals, lithium batteries, thermostats, motors for drones, machine tools, and machinery parts.
The EU introduced further restrictions on imports ofgoods that generate significant revenues for Russia, such aspig iron and spiegeleisen, copper wires, aluminum wires, foil, tubes, and pipes.
A new import ban is introduced on liquefied propane (LPG) with a 12-month transitional period.
The bloc adopted additional measures to tighten control over the $60-per-barrel Russian seaborne oil cap, which Moscow largely managed to avoid.
These steps include a strengthened information-sharing mechanism that will allow better identification of vessels and entities carrying out deceptive practices.
Other measures include a crackdown on Russian cryptocurrency transfers and other financial operations, as well as further individual listings of persons and entities.
While the EU signaled an agreement on the long-expected 12th package during the European Council summit on Dec. 14, the media reported that Austria delayed the adoption.
Vienna withdrew its reservations after Ukraine suspended the Austrian Raiffeisen Bank from the list of international sponsors of war, the media wrote.
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.
Daniil Ukhorskiy
