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.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hold joint press statement during the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on Nov. 29, 2023. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agree that Euro-Atlantic defense industries need to work together as one system to increase arms supplies, Kuleba said on a visit to the NATO Headquarters in Brussels on Nov. 29.
"We both agree that Euro-Atlantic defense industries need to work as one system in order to both ramp up supplies to Ukraine and strengthen NATO allies. This priority resonates well with them," Kuleba said on X, following his meeting with Stoltenberg.
"We discussed specific steps to create such an integrated system," Kuleba said. "NATO has a crucial coordinating role in bringing all allies and defense companies together."
Increasing arms production was a key topic of Kuleba's visit to Brussels, where he attended the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
He also met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who posted on X that a topic of discussion was "battlefield updates and bilateral efforts aimed to help Ukraine increase production of the military supplies it needs to defend its territory and people."
Speaking to the press with Blinken, Kuleba told reporters that the meeting demonstrated that the "call to step up the production of weapons and ammunition resonates among NATO allies."
The foreign minister said he has "no doubts" that member states will put "political will into real action in the area of defense industries."
Earlier in November, Kuleba met with Armin Papperger, CEO of German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, in Berlin and discussed ways to strengthen the alliance of German and Ukrainian defense industries.
The meeting came less than two weeks after it was announced Rheinmetall would join forces with Ukraine's state-owned defense company Ukroboronprom to repair and maintain Western-produced military vehicles and ultimately produce them domestically in Ukraine.
Nate Ostiller
