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.
Plumes of smoke from a fire in Russia's Kursk Oblast on July 2, 2024. (Acting Governor Alexei Smirnov/Telegram)
A large fire broke out in Russia's Kursk Oblast on July 2, said acting Governor Alexei Smirnov.
The governor claimed that the fire has been contained, and that there are at least 60 first responders at the scene fighting the blaze. Smirnov said that the cause of the fire was still being determined, and claimed that there were no casualties reported.
Some Telegram channels made unconfirmed reports that the fire had broken out near a Russian military base that houses large numbers of aviation equipment.
The claims could not be independently verified.
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Telegram channels shared videos that showed a large plume of smoke rising from an area obscured by buildings and trees, so it was not possible to determine what exactly was on fire from the footage.
Kursk Oblast lies on the border with Ukraine's Sumy Oblast. As with other Russian regions bordering Ukraine, it has been reportedly struck numerous times by drones or other long-range weapons in recent months.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Olena Goncharova
