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.
NATO Chair of the Military Committee Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer holds a closing press conference after a NATO Military Chiefs of Defence Meeting at NATO headquarters on Jan. 19, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. (Photo Credit: Omar Havana/Getty Images)
Ukraine will not receive modern Western fighter jets before its ongoing counteroffensive is already over, said Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, the Chairman of the Military Committee of NATO, on British radio station LBC on July 4.
“The discussion on the fighters is an important one, but it will not be solved in the short term for this counteroffensive,” the Dutch Navy officer said.
“Training those pilots, training the technicians, making sure there is a logistic organization that can actually sustain these aircraft will not be available before this counteroffensive.”
Bauer noted that even without fighter jets, Ukraine has an advantage over Russia in training, morale, motivation, and Western weaponry. According to the admiral, Ukraine can push through the Russian defenses but “it will take time.”
He added that upon taking new territory, Ukrainian forces will have to redeploy air defense systems to protect newly gained ground.
Several countries of the so-called “fighter jet coalition” have pledged to provide Kyiv with F-16 aircraft and the necessary training. These nations include the U.K., the Netherlands, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Portugal, France, and the U.S.
Both the Netherlands and Denmark showed a willingness to transfer F-16 fighters from their stocks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has however complained to his Western partners that the schedule for training Ukrainian pilots is being delayed. According to Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the lack of advanced fighter jets is making the counteroffensive more difficult, comparing it to fighting with “bows and arrows.”
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
