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.
Hyundai Motor's manufacturing plant in St. Petersburg, Russia (Hyundai Motor Group)
South Korean car producer Hyundai Motor announced on Dec. 19 that it intends to sell its only Russian plant. The firm will dispose of the St. Petersburg-based factory for a symbolic sum of 7,000 rubles ($77.67), a Hyundai official told Reuters.
This adds the company to the list of major car producers leaving Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a wave of sanctions, also including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Toyota, and others.
"Hyundai Motor Company today held a Board of Directors meeting, approving a plan to sell its entire stake in Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Rus (HMMR LLC) to Art-Finance LLC," the firm said in its statement.
"The operation of St. Petersburg-based HMMR has been suspended since March 2022."
In its regulatory filing, the company said it is bound to lose around $219 million by selling the plant.
A Hyundai Motor official cited by Reuters also said the South Korean firm would receive 10,000 rubles ($110.57) for the sale of all its assets in Russia.
In 2021, Hyundai and its affiliate Kia were the two most popular foreign car brands in Russia, topped only by the domestically produced Lada.
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.
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