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).
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only. Swiss flag waving on historic building (Getty Images)
The number of countries and organizations that have confirmed their participation in Ukraine's global peace summit dropped from 93 to 78, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported on June 11, citing several unnamed EU diplomats.
One of the outlet's sources did not rule out that the list of countries that had previously agreed to take part in the summit may again grow. It remains unclear which countries reconsidered their participation.
"My goal is to have a family photo of almost 80 people," an unnamed official told RFE/RL.
Another unnamed diplomat voiced optimism that there is still time before the summit starts, suggesting that some countries might join the event.
The Kyiv Independent sent a request for comment to Ukraine's Presidential Office but has not received a response at the time of publication.
Kyiv hopes the summit will address several key areas, such as energy security, the exchange of captives, the return of kidnapped children, and global food security.
Participants of the summit will formulate a common negotiating position on the outcome of the war and submit it to Russia, according to presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to derail the peace summit, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, adding that the Kremlin's chief has no desire in peace.
In early June, President Volodymyr Zelensky accused China of working with Moscow to reduce attendance at the peace summit, which Beijing denied.
Andrea Januta
