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.
Russian Foreign Minister and Security Council Acting President for the month of April Sergey Lavrov speaks during a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters on April 24, 2023 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov addressed the UN Security Council in New York on April 24 during the Russian Federation's controversial presidency of the body.
During his address, Lavrov fiercely criticized Western countries in particular the U.S., which he said is "aiming for the destruction of globalization" and wants to "undermine multilateralism" in the Asia-Pacific.
Russia was chosen to head the UN Security Council, the presidency of which rotates on a monthly basis between 15 member states, for the month of April.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in late March called the move a "bad joke" and said that the world "can't be a safe place" with Russia as head of the UN Security Council.
Russia has repeatedly abused its position at the United Nations while attempting to justify its genocidal war in Ukraine.
Lavrov told the UN General Assembly that Russia had “no choice” but to invade Ukraine, UN News reported in September 2022.
"I am convinced that any sovereign, self-respecting State would do the same in our stead, which understands its responsibility to its own people," Lavrov claimed, denying Ukrainian sovereignty.
During his April 24 address to the UN Security Council, Lavrov also called President Volodymyr Zelensky's government "the Nazi regime in Kyiv" and the Euromaidan Revolution a "coup," adding that they do not have the authority to rule over the inhabitants of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts who allegedly "rejected" the democratic movement.
Despite Russia's repeated claims that they are "protecting" the people of eastern Ukraine, a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in late February showed that 90% of Ukrainians believe it is necessary to begin launching strikes on Russian territory, with the largest support coming from eastern Ukraine, which has suffered the brunt of Russian attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion.
Russian soldiers and mercenaries have also confessed to and have been documented committing war crimes throughout Ukraine, including the rape, torture, and murder of both civilians and Ukrainian soldiers.
According to Lavrov, the war in Ukraine is "impossible" to view outside of the U.S. geopolitical context. However, it was Russia's invasion of Ukraine that sparked a global food crisis that is exacerbated every time the Black Sea Grain Initiative is up for renewal.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian officials have also been condemned by intergovernmental organizations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) for documented war crimes committed on Ukrainian territory, including the kidnappings of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, threatened the ICC with a missile strike on March 20 after it issued arrested warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Asami Terajima
