"I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
The air raid was announced at around 2:30 p.m. local time, while the explosion sounded around 2:50 p.m. The number of victims killed rose to three, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported at 8:42 p.m.
If confirmed, the decision would mark the first time since Russia's full-scale invasion that President Volodymyr Zelensky is absent, either physically or virtually, from a NATO summit.
The disclosure follows a warning from Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski, who on May 6 said Moscow was carrying out an "unprecedented" interference campaign.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Konstantin Palace on June 17, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will not participate in the possible Russia-Ukraine talks set for May 15 in Istanbul, the pro-government media outlet Kommersant reported on May 14, citing unnamed sources.
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed hosting direct talks in Turkey between Kyiv and Moscow. While President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will attend the talks, the Kremlin has so far stayed quiet about the possibility of Putin attending.
Moscow has not yet officially named the composition of its delegation. Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky said the details may be announced late on May 14.
Zelensky confirmed he will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara and said that both he and Erdogan are ready to travel to Istanbul if Putin agrees to attend the talks.
U.S. President Donald Trump is not expected to join the meeting, unnamed Turkish officials cited told Bloomberg, but added that they did not fully rule out a last-minute visit.
The U.S. president announced on May 13 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior U.S. officials will attend the talks. According to Reuters, Trump's envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg are also expected in Istanbul.
Zelensky and Putin last met face-to-face in December 2019 in Paris during a Normandy Format summit. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, there have been no direct talks between the two leaders.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Alex Cadier
