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.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius talks to the media during the seventh gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein air base on March 19, 2024, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to push for a larger defense spending for next year, as he considers the planned increase insufficient, the German outlet Tagesspiegel reported on July 20.
The agreed budget will see an increase in defense spending by 1.2 billion euros (nearly $1.4 billion), while Pistorius requested a 6.7 billion euros (nearly $7.3 billion) increase, according to Tagesspiegel.
The draft state budget for next year provides 53.2 billion euros (nearly $58 billion) for the Bundeswehr, compared to 51.9 billion euros (nearly $56.5 billion) this year.
"I will continue to promote the idea that the Bundeswehr should receive the necessary funds in light of the real threat of Russia. The next opportunity for this will be the parliamentary review process," Pistorius said.
"In the federal government, we need to have another fundamental discussion about how we want to guarantee our security. I was not satisfied with the outcome before the government's decision, and I am certainly not satisfied with it now," the minister added.
Pistorius said that he does not agree with Finance Minister Christian Lindner's view on Germany returning to "normal fiscal policy" after the coronavirus pandemic, considering the security situation in Europe due to Russia's war against Ukraine.
Germany should take on an even greater military role in Europe as the largest European economy, according to the minister.
"If Donald Trump becomes president of the U.S., the balance of power in NATO is likely to change even faster. If we do not find a solution to reflect all these circumstances in the budget, the next government will have to do it," he said.
According to the agreed state budget, Germany's military aid for Ukraine will be cut by half next year.
Berlin will provide Kyiv with around 8 billion euros ($8.7 billion) this year but will only give 4 billion euros ($4.35 billion) in 2025.
Berlin is hoping that the shortfall will be made up by the profits from frozen Russian assets, Reuters reported.
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.
Martin Fornusek
