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.
The flags of Russia and China along a highway during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit in Beijing, China, on Thursday, May 16, 2024. (Bloomberg/Getty Images)
China's Foreign Ministry on April 23 accused Ukraine of making "groundless" accusations after the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned a Chinese ambassador to present evidence of Chinese involvement in Russia's war.
A day earlier, Chinese Ambassador to Ukraine Ma Shengkun was invited to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis.
Perebyinis presented the Chinese ambassador with evidence of Chinese citizens' participation in hostilities against Ukraine on Russia's side and the involvement of Chinese companies in the production of military products in Russia.
The evidence was also passed on to the Chinese side by the Ukrainian security services.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry called Ukraine's recent statements "groundless" and "political manipulations."
"We have clarified China's position on the relevant issues. China strongly opposes groundless accusations and political manipulations," Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said during a press briefing.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 17 that China is supplying weapons to Russia, marking Kyiv's first confirmation that Beijing supports Russia's war effort by direct military aid. Iran and North Korea are two other allies of Moscow that supply Russia with arms.
Though Beijing has long denied supplying arms, multiple reports have suggested otherwise. In summer 2024, Zelensky said China had assured Ukraine it would not deliver weapons to Russia.
While officially claiming neutrality, Beijing has deepened economic ties with Moscow, supported Russia against Western sanctions, and emerged as a top supplier of dual-use goods that feed the Russian defense sector.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian forces captured two Chinese nationals fighting for Russia in Donetsk Oblast. Zelensky later said that "several hundred" Chinese nationals were fighting on Russia's side.
China has denied any direct involvement in the war and claimed it has urged its citizens to avoid armed conflicts.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
