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.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) hug during Modi's visit to Moscow, Russia, on July 9, 2024. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
India is exploring ways to increase its exports to Russia, including by encouraging rupee-ruble trade and pushing Moscow to remove non-tariff barriers, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters reported on July 15.
Growing Russian exports to India accounted for $61.43 billion of the $65.7 billion trade between the two states in the last fiscal year ending in March.
While trade between the two countries grew by one-third year-on-year, Indian exports of pharmaceuticals, machinery, and other goods to Russia remained almost unchanged.
"When we are looking at Russia, we are looking at how both countries can gain by better trade relationships," Indian Trade Secretary Sunil Barthwal said during a press conference.
"We are looking at various sets of commodities, for example, electronics, engineering goods, and other items where there can be exports."
The Indian government has asked Russia to consider changing some non-tariff barriers for Indian food products, according to Barthwal.
New Delhi is also encouraging rupee-rouble trade that has failed to take off, he said.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the two countries have been trying to increase trade in rubles and rupees, as many Russian companies and businesses have been subject to Western sanctions.
Moscow and New Dehli failed because the Indian currency is not one of the most used in the world, and Russia does not want to amass it, Reuters said.
Indian Prime Minister Modi arrived in Moscow on July 8 in what was his first trip to Russia since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
By the end of Modi's two-day visit, the two countries had identified nine key areas for closer cooperation, ranging from nuclear energy to medicine. They also aim to increase bilateral trade by more than half to reach $100 billion by 2030, according to Reuters.
New Delhi has been calling for a diplomatic solution to Russia's war against Ukraine while at the same time fostering close economic ties with Moscow.
India became one of the chief buyers of Russian oil following Western sanctions, although pressure from U.S. sanctions increasingly threatens this trade.
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 Denisova
