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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) talks with French President Emmanuel Macron (R) prior to the start of the second day of an EU Summit in the Europa building, the EU Council headquarters on Oct. 21, 2022, in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
The EU should be able to financially support Ukraine even if Hungary continues obstructing the assistance, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Dec. 15, The Guardian reported.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed the funding for Ukraine during the European Council summit, although his abstention from a previous vote allowed an agreement on accession talks with Kyiv.
While EU leaders prefer a unanimous agreement on the 50-billion-euro ($55 billion) funding for Kyiv, they believe they can collect the sum in loans and cash without Orban's support, The Guardian wrote.
"I think we can fund Ukraine if we are totally blocked next year," Macron told reporters after the EU summit in Brussels.
Orban, who is considered close to Moscow, has long opposed support for Ukraine, pointing out what he calls rampant corruption and criticizing an apparent lack of long-term strategy on Brussels' part. Macron believes that Orban is dishonest about the reasons for blocking the aid.
"It is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to. Not half of it, or one-fourth," Orban said about the talks.
The Europan Commission unblocked $11 billion in funds for Hungary shortly before the summit but insisted it was merely in reaction to Budapest's internal reforms.
Macron said he expected Hungary to "go beyond posturing" and "behave like Europeans and not take the political progress hostage."
After failing to reach a consensus on Ukraine funding and other budget issues during the Dec. 14-15 meeting, EU leaders are expected to reconvene early next year.
The bloc's representatives said earlier that the EU is considering possible workarounds if Hungary continues to block further support for Ukraine.
Speaking at a press conference during the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the bloc hopes to achieve unanimity, but "potential alternatives" are also being discussed ahead of the next meeting.
"We will use – as the Commission – the time until then to ensure that whatever happens at this next EUCO (European Council meeting), we will have an operational solution," von der Leyen pledged.
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.
Olena Goncharova
