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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a meeting on March 8, 2024. (Volodymyr Zelensky/X)
Editor's note: This is a developing story.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on March 8 to meet his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Among the topics the Ukrainian and Turkish leaders are planning to discuss are Ukraine's peace formula, the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, as well as the release of Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, the President's Office said.
This is Zelensky’s second visit to this country since Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine.
After the previous trip in July 2023, Zelensky brought home five commanding officers who defended the Azovstal plant in Mariupol, and had been kept in Turkey under the personal guarantees of Erdogan after a prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia.
Zelensky said he had visited the shipyard to inspect the building of corvettes for the Ukrainian Navy, and had spoken with Ukrainian Navy personnel. He is also expected to meet with representatives of Turkish defense companies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Turkey on March 8, 2024. (The Ukrainian Presidential Office)
At about 7 p.m., Zelensky wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that his meeting with Erdogan had started.
The Associated Press, citing an unnamed Turkish government official, reported that during the talks in Istanbul, Erdogan was planning to "press for negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine."
The final rounds of unsuccessful peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow in 2022 took place in the Turkish city of Antalya. Maintaining close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, Ankara sought to position itself as a mediator in the war.
In late January, Russian state-run media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was making preparations to visit Turkey in February and meet with Erdogan. Soon after this, the Kremlin said that Putin would arrive to Turkey after the Russian presidential election set on March 15-17.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Martin Fornusek
