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.
Josep Borrell (R), the top EU diplomat, meeting South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun during the former's visit to South Korea on Nov. 4, 2024. (Josep Borrell/X)
Josep Borrell, the top EU diplomat, visited South Korea on Nov. 4 amid rising concerns over North Korean troops joining Russia's war against Ukraine.
"Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is an existential threat. The Republic of Korea is best positioned to understand it," Borrell said on X after meeting South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun.
"We are united in our support to Ukraine. I encouraged them to step it up."
The deepening cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang has sparked discussions in Seoul on revising its stance on military supplies for Ukraine.
North Korea is believed to have dispatched 10,000-12,000 troops to Russia to join the war against Ukraine. Some 8,000 soldiers have been reportedly deployed in Kursk Oblast, a Russian border region partially held by Ukrainian forces.
South Korea has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid but not with lethal assistance, as the country's legislation prevents direct arms supplies to war zones.
According to some media reports, South Korea has provided Ukraine with artillery shells indirectly via the U.S., but direct supplies of 155 mm rounds are currently not on the table.
During his visit, Borrell visited the fortified Demilitarized Zone dividing South Korea and North Korea. The European diplomat said he aims to raise the cooperation between the EU and Seoul to "the next level."
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.
Chris York
