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.
Illustrative image; An F-16 jet performs during the Air Show in Radom, Poland on Aug. 26, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A French maritime patrol aircraft was the target of intimidation tactics over the Baltic Sea overnight on Jan. 17, after the aircraft was locked onto by the radar of a Russian ground-to-air defense system, France's Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on social media.
The aircraft was patrolling in international airspace over the Baltic Sea overnight between Jan. 16 - 17 as part of a NATO operation, the defense minister said.
"This aggressive Russian action is not acceptable," Lecornu wroteon X. "Our armies will continue to act to defend freedom of navigation in international air and maritime spaces."
The Baltic Sea region has witnessed growing concerns over Russian sabotage since Western nations began supporting Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
On Dec. 25, four telecommunication cables and one power cable in the Baltic Sea were damaged, with Finnish authorities suspecting the involvement of the Russian "shadow fleet" vessel Eagle S.
Following the incident, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte vowed to increaseNATO's military presence in the region. On Jan. 14, eight NATO member states bordering the Baltic Sea unveiled a coordinatedaction plan to address risks to underwater infrastructure following the suspected sabotage.
In addition to sabotage efforts, Russia has been repeatedly accused of jammingthe GPS signal of various aircrafts, particularly in the Baltic Sea region.
In March, Russia likely jammedthe satellite signal of a Royal Air Force aircraft used to transport then-U.K. Defence Minister Grant Shapps near Kaliningrad.
On Dec. 9, two Dutch F-35 fighter jets interceptedRussian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Later they were also scrambled again to intercept a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
Russian aircraft frequently operate over the Baltic Sea without transponders or flight plans, actions often seen as testing NATO's response capabilities.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
