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.
Landfall pipes of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Russia on Sept. 23, 2021. (Nord Stream 2 / Nikolai Ryutin)
Matthias Warnig, a former spy and longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is reportedly lobbying the U.S. to support a potential restart of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Financial Times reported on March 2, citing undisclosed sources.
Warnig, who led Nord Stream 2’s parent company on behalf of Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom until 2023, is reportedly trying to establish contact with U.S. President Donald Trump's team through American businessmen.
His efforts come amid discussions on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and reestablishing economic ties between Washington and Moscow.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea were built to supply natural gas from Russia to Europe.
The Nord Stream pipelines, fully owned by Russia, were co-financed by five European energy companies. In September 2022, three of the four Nord Stream pipelines were severely damaged in an apparent sabotage attack.
Warnig and Nord Stream 2 AG were placed under U.S. sanctions in 2022 by the administration of then-President Joe Biden. Any deal to revive the project would require Washington to lift these sanctions and for Germany to approve the resumption of Russian gas flows to Europe, according to the FT.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, expressed skepticism over the viability of such an agreement, warning that Berlin’s involvement in Nord Stream 2’s renewal could "cause huge rifts" with the EU, which maintains sanctions against Russia.
Several European officials aware of the backchannel talks "are concerned and have discussed the matter," the FT added.
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Nate Ostiller
