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.
Lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky at the Pechersk District Court in Kyiv on Nov. 14, 2023. (Hennadii Minchenko/Ukrinform)
Controversial lawmaker Oleksandr Dubinsky was found guilty of an administrative offense and fined for exerting pressure over the investigation of his corruption case, according to the National Agency on Corruption Prevention's statement on March 13.
The Pechersk district court in Kyiv ordered Dubinsky to pay a fine of Hr 6,800 ($175.45). He can appeal the court's ruling within 10 days.
Dubinsky is a suspect in a number of criminal cases related to corruption and treason. He was charged with document forgery in August 2023 after he allegedly traveled abroad under a false pretext.
After the criminal case was opened against him last summer, the lawmaker sent appeals to the Health Ministry and the State Bureau of Investigation to "obtain information necessary for his own protection against criminal prosecution," the National Agency on Corruption Prevention said.
In one of the appeals sent in August 2023, Dubinsky demanded information from the Health Ministry on the progress and results of the review of the documentation related to his forgery case, the agency reported.
The agency's statement did not mention Dubinsky by name, but the facts of the case make it clear that he is the suspect in question.
The lawmaker was detained last November after being accused of high treason. He remains in custody as he awaits trial. Dubinsky has also been charged with violating martial law by allegedly helping the brother of his civil partner illegally leave Ukraine.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
