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.
A fighter for Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA) patrols through town during the Congress for the Fusion of Movements in Kidal on August 28, 2022. (Souleymane Ag Anara / AFP)
Malian rebels killed 84 mercenaries fighting for the Russian Wagner Group during recent clashes in the country, they claimed on Aug. 1.
In a post on X, the Strategic Framework for the Defense of the People of Azawad, said it killed 84 Wagner fighters and 47 Malian troops.
The group – a coalition of anti-government groups in the north of the African country – said the losses occurred over three days of fighting.
Russia maintains a strong presence in African countries through Wagner and other entities, propping up authoritarian governments, fueling destabilization, and extracting resources to fund its war against Ukraine.
The West African nation of Mali has been the subject of a significant Russian influence campaign since the Malian army overthrew the government in a coup in 2021.
The Wagner mercenary group, founded by the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been particularly active in Mali and has been accused of perpetrating war crimes and widespread looting.
Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, spokesman for the pro-independence CSP-DPA coalition, said in a statement published on Facebook that a two-day battle on the outskirts of Tinzawaten village earlier this week resulted in the rebels destroying “the entire column of the Malian army and Russian mercenaries."
Ramadane added that "the enemy suffered huge losses in terms of lives and equipment, including dozens of dead and wounded."
An unnamed local politician told AFP that the Malian army had retreated from Tinzawaten as a result of the battle.
The Malian government forces reported on July 28, as cited by Associated Press, that two of their soldiers had been killed and 10 injured in a rebel attack.
Russian pro-war Telegram channels, including those linked to the Wagner Group, published photos and videos allegedly showing the bodies of killed mercenaries and destroyed equipment.
They also wrote that among the killed Russian mercenaries were the author of Grey Zone, a major Telegram channel covering Wagner actions in Ukraine and Africa, and Anton Elizarov, a Wagner commander who led the group's offensive operations against Soledar and Bakhmut.
None of these claims can be independently verified. Wagner mercenaries fought in Ukraine and launched a brief rebellion against the Kremlin in June 2023, marching on Moscow before abruptly ending their mutiny.
After the failed rebellion, some Wagner members signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry, others went to fight in Africa.
The Kyiv Independent is an award-winning English-language media outlet that offers on-the-ground reporting from Ukraine. The publication has received international recognition for its coverage of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Dinara Khalilova
