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.
An instructor from the Trident Defense Initiative, an organization that provides medical and tactical training, gives instruction about a DJI drone during the training session for the Ukrainian Defense Forces about how to clear buildings, manage close combat, and control DJI drones in the Kharkiv, Ukraine on June 13, 2023. (Photo credit: Sofiia Bobok/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian government plans to support the country’s domestic military-industrial complex and drone manufacturing capabilities, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on Oct. 10.
“The government simplified the import of drones as much as possible and expanded the list of military and dual-use goods that can be imported without the permission of the State Service for Export Control. We have removed bureaucratic obstacles for the procurement of Ukrainian drones,” he said.
Inexpensive unmanned machines have transformed the battlefield on land, in the air, and out at sea, and granted Ukraine new capabilities to defend its territory.
Earlier this year, Ukraine launched the Marichka, an underwater naval drone that can carry a 200 kilogram warhead, and announced the creation of a special seaborne drone unit.
For 2024, the Ukrainian government has allocated the equivalent of $1.5 billion for domestic arms manufacturing, with the majority intended for drone production.
Lance Luo (Li P. Luo) is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, he worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Hromadske Television in Kyiv. He also spent three years in finance and strategy consulting. Mr. Luo graduated from the University of Southern California and serves as an arbitrator at FINRA.
Francis Farrell
