The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Photo illustration of a Russian passport, Aug. 5 2022. (Adrien Fillon/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Residents of Ukraine's Russian-occupied regions who lack Russian passports are being denied medical treatment, the National Resistance Center reported on Jan. 21.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed an executive order April 2023 that set a deadline for residents in the occupied areas of Ukraine to apply for Russian citizenship. Refusal to accept a Russian passport carries severe penalties, including loss of property rights, prison sentences, and deportation.
The Center said that medical facilities in the occupied territories will only offer services to residents who have Russian health insurance. Obtaining Russian insurance coverage requires a Russian passport.
"As a result, most residents are denied medical services," the Center said.
According to the Center, Ukrainian passport-holders can still access ambulance services in the event of an emergency. This gives Ukrainians the same right to medical services that foreign visitors would receive.
Residents of Ukraine's occupied territories are more likely to live closer to the front lines, where shelling is a daily occurrenceand civilian casualties are high.
The Center previously reported in August 2023 that civilians in occupied areas of southern Ukraine were denied access to hospitals because local facilities were overwhelmed with wounded Russian soldiers.
Forced passportizationcampaigns in the occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts are part of Russia's ongoing efforts to undermine Ukrainian national identity and bolster the illegal occupation regime. Those who hold on to their Ukrainian passports are subject to intimidation, restrictions to social benefits, and possible violence.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
