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 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).
A person inspects a partially-destroyed residential building on April 9 after Russian shelling in the Saltivka district of Kharkiv. (Photo: Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Approximately two-to-three years will be required to fully repair the damage inflicted upon Kharkiv's buildings and infrastructure during wartime, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on national television on April 15.
Terekhov explained that the timeline depends not only on the efforts of those engaged in reconstruction efforts but also on the funds available from the budget.
"We're counting on two or three years for the complete reconstruction of the city," Terekhov said.
According to the mayor, 200 high-rise buildings in Kharkiv were restored in 2022, and there are plans to restore 50 more.
Due to heavy shelling in March and April 2022, many of Kharkiv's residents temporarily sought shelter in the city's subway system. More than half of the buildings in Saltivka, a once heavily-populated residential district to the northeast of Kharkiv's city center, have been damaged or destroyed.
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Asami Terajima
