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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Illustrative purposes only: Indian flag. (Dinodia Photo/Getty Images)
Ravi Moun, a 22-year-old Indian citizen recruited into the Russian army, died in the war against Ukraine, AFP reported on July 29, citing Moun's relatives.
Russia's war against Ukraine resulted in heavy casualties for the Russian military. Seeking to limit unpopular conscription among the domestic population, Moscow has been recruiting foreigners from such countries as Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba, and others to fight in Ukraine.
Multiple cases of Indian men coming to Russia for work or tourism before being coerced to join the war against Ukraine and, in some cases, dying in battle have been reported.
Moun was the fifth Indian citizen who died in Russia's war in Ukraine while serving in Russian forces, according to AFP.
The Indian national traveled to Russia in January after a private employment agent promised him a job in the transportation sector. Moun was inducted into the military when he arrived in Russia, his brother Ajay told the news agency.
Moun was sent to the front line in March.
After the Indian stopped responding to calls and messages, his brother contacted the Indian Embassy in Moscow, where he was informed that Moun was dead. The embassy also asked the family to send DNA samples to identify Moun's body.
In July, Moscow agreed to release all Indians serving in its Armed Forces and facilitate their return after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In the same month, the Russian authorities began paying compensation to the families of Indian citizens who were recruited for the war and killed in action.
The Indian Foreign Ministry said later that the government continues to work with the Kremlin to return about 50 Indians fighting in the Russian army to their homeland.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Olena Goncharova
