Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at a joint press conference at the White House on Feb. 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Carl Court - Pool/Getty Images)
A peace deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine will happen "quickly" or not at all, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 27 during a joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The two leaders met earlier in the day for talks that focused heavily on Western allies' role in securing a lasting peace in Ukraine.
Trump said that steps towards a peace deal were "moving along pretty rapidly" and that he expected an agreement to be negotiated "fairly soon," or not at all.
"If it doesn't happen quickly, it may not happen at all," he said.
Trump has been pushing Ukraine and Russia to quickly negotiate a ceasefire, though no formal peace talks involving both Kyiv and Moscow have taken place. U.S. officials have held direct talks with Russian delegates in recent days, without Ukraine's participation.
The U.S. has also reached an agreement on critical mineral revenues with Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelensky will sign during a visit to the White House on Feb. 28.
Starmer has pressed Trump to pledge U.S. backing for a European-led peacekeeping force that would deter future Russian aggression in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. No committments were announced following the meeting, though Starmer said he had "a very productive discussion" with Trump.
"The deal has to come first," Starmer said, adding that their respective teams would continue to talk about ways to make sure a future ceasefire holds.
Starmer reiterated the U.K.'s support for Ukraine and its plans to send record amounts of military aid to Kyiv this year. He insisted that a peace deal must be "backed by strength" and fair to Ukraine.
"It can't be peace that rewards the aggressor .... history must be on the side of the peacemaker, not the invader," he said.
The U.S. and U.K. are discussing a peace deal that would be "tough and fair" and shaped directly by Ukraine, Starmer said.
Starmer's visit to Washington comes shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron met with Trump at the White House to discuss European security interests and U.S. support for Ukraine. Starmer and Macron have championed a plan to deploy European peacekeeprs to Ukraine to monitor a ceasefire.
The Kremlin has said it would not accept European troops in Ukraine as a condition of a peace agreement.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Dominic Culverwell
