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.
Gergely Gulyas (L) on Oct. 2, 2016, in Budapest, Hungary. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The positions of Hungary and the European Commission on 50 billion euros ($54 billion) for Ukraine remain far apart, making a potential agreement uncertain, the Telex news portal reported on Jan. 18, citing Hungarian minister Gergely Gulyas.
Budapest blocked the funding for Ukraine during the European Council summit in December 2023. EU leaders are to reconvene on the issue on Feb. 1, with Brussels signaling that a deal might be reached even without Hungary's approval.
The continued dispute "is not a tragedy," said Gulyas, the minister of the prime minister's office, at a governmental meeting on Jan. 17. According to the official, an agreement can still be reached by 2026, which is the last year of the seven-year financial framework regulating the EU budget.
"Hungary has not ruled out supporting Ukraine on a bilateral basis," Gulyas noted. Unlike many EU countries, Hungary has provided only limited humanitarian aid and no military material assistance to Kyiv.
The country also continues to undermine Western aid efforts and sanctions against Russia. Budapest has maintained warm relations with Moscow amid the all-out war, and Hungarian top officials have visited Russia repeatedly since February 2022.
According to Gulyas, "the possibility of improving relations between Hungary and Ukraine cannot be ruled out, and Hungary must strive for good relations with the neighboring country."
"We must not give up hope that there can be a change in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations," he added.
By the end of January, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto plans to meet his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Ukraine's Uzhhorod to prepare for the potential high-level meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Gulyas commented that a meeting between Zelensky and Orban should take place only if there is a specific purpose, not merely for publicity.
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.
Timothy Ash
