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.
Planet Labs satellite imagery of the Kakhovka Dam and hydroelectric power facility after it was blown up by Russian forces on June 6 2023. (Planet Labs PBC)
A trial against Russia due to the Kakhovka Dam destruction may be launched at the International Criminal Court (ICC) if evidence emerges on concrete individuals involved, Greenpeace legal advisor Daniel Simons said on June 13.
"There is an active campaign to recognize 'ecocide' as an international crime, but the international community has not yet reached an agreement on this issue," Simons commented.
"However, Article 8(2)(b)(iv) of the Rome Statute of the ICC qualifies as a crime the intentional attack that causes extensive, lasting, and serious damage to the surrounding natural environment, which will be clearly excessive in comparison with concrete and immediately expected general military advantage," he explained.
Simons said a war crimes trial may therefore be opened against specific individuals who ordered the dam's destruction, intentionally inflicting damage to the environment.
The Kakhovka Dam collapsed on June 6, sparking a humanitarian and environmental disaster across southern Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities say the dam was blown up by Russian forces to prevent a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
The breach caused the draining of the Kakhovka Reservoir and massive floods along the banks of the Dnipro River, particularly in Kherson Oblast.
The flooding cost the lives of at least 10 people and 42 are considered missing.
In Kherson Oblast, 2,743 residents have been evacuated and 45 settlements have been floodedby June 12, while in Mykolaiv Oblast, 31 settlements were impacted and 982 people have been evacuated.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, almost 165,000 households in 32 settlements have been left without a water supply.
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.
Agatha Gorski
