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.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, sign a trade deal in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 22, 2024. (Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto/Facebook)
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto visited Tehran on Feb. 22, meeting his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and signing a trade deal in the agriculture and food industries.
Officials of NATO and EU countries rarely visit Iran as it remains one of the most sanctioned countries in the world due to its human rights record, nuclear program, and support for terrorist and militant groups abroad.
Tehran has provided extensive support to Moscow's war against Ukraine, including Shahed kamikaze drones and reportedly even missiles. In turn, Budapest also maintains friendly relations with Russia and often bucks the united Western front on foreign policy issues.
"The cooperation agreement between Iran and Hungary, signed today and entering into force, provides additional trade opportunities in the fields of agriculture and the food industry," Szijjarto said on Facebook.
"The agreement opens the possibility of even more active entry into the Iranian market for high-quality Hungarian agricultural technologies and food industry products."
Szijjarto attended a Hungarian-Iranian business forum in Tehran to discuss sectors not affected by sanctions, including pharmaceutical, food, healthcare, and water management industries, the Hungarian news portal Index reported. Representatives of Hungarian businesses were also present.
"It doesn't matter what we think about sanctions in general," Szijjarto said in Tehran, adding that building cooperation under sanctions is "not easy" but also "not impossible."
Speaking at the press conference with Amir-Abdollahian, the Hungarian foreign minister said that Hungary wants to prevent an escalation of conflicts in the Middle East, adding that he expects Tehran to "behave responsibly."
Iran provides support to militant groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, which have recently clashed with Western powers. Tehran also backs the Palestinian militant group Hamas, currently embroiled in a war with Israel.
Szijjarto further said that the world is heading toward the formation of two blocs yet again, stressing that Hungary does not want to get caught in between as it once did.
"Hungary does not see East-West cooperation as a danger or risk but as a huge opportunity," he said.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
