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.
Workers at a grain processing plant in Lotskyne, Mykolaiv Oblast, prepare wheat for export on Nov. 4, 2022. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
The European Commission proposed on March 22 steep tariffs on imports of Russian and Belarusian grain, oilseeds, and derived products to protect the EU market and cut down Moscow's profits amid its war against Ukraine.
The commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the proposal to EU member states during a summit that took place in Brussels between March 21 and 22.
The measure would impose a tariff of 95 euros ($103) per ton on corn and wheat, as opposed to zero tariffs imposed today, Business Insider reported. Oilseeds and derived products would be subject to an "ad valorem duty" of 50%, the outlet said.
"We propose the imposition of tariffs on these Russian imports to mitigate the growing risk to our markets and our farmers. They will reduce Russia's capacity to exploit the EU for the benefit of its war machine," von der Leyen said.
Russia exported around $1.4 billion euros worth of grain products to the EU in 2023. European imports of grains, oil seeds, and their derivatives from Russia reached a record of 4 million metric tons in 2023, which is 1% of the total EU consumption, the Financial Times reported.
If approved, the proposal would slap the same restrictions also on products from Belarus in retaliation for Minsk's support for Russian aggression. The measure would not affect exports to third countries.
"We are striking the right balance between supporting our economy and farming communities. At the same time, we maintain our unyielding support for Ukraine," von der Leyen said.
The proposal will now be considered by the EU Council. Once adopted, it will enter into force immediately.
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
