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.
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.
Shells are stored at the workshop of the "Forges de Tarbes,” which produces 155mm shells, the munition for French Caesar artillery, in Tarbes, southwestern France, on April 4, 2023. Caesar self-propelled howitzers are being actively used on Ukraine’s frontline. (Lionel Bonaventure/Getty Images)
The desire from individual countries to protect their local shell-manufacturing industry has caused prices to rise and hampered the institution of a NATO standard 155mm shell, Chair of the NATO Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer said to Reuters on Oct. 24.
Bauer has previously stressed that Ukraine's allies are running out of ammunition and that production must increase to keep up with the demand from the battlefield.
However, 14 NATO countries produce their own version of the 155mm shell, which are not used interchangeably. According to Bauer, this lack of standardization is a result of the post-Cold War era, when defense spending across the alliance decreased.
"If you make an artillery round that only fits in the gun that you make, then you force the users to buy your ammunition."
This deficiency in interchangeability has increased the price of individual shells four-fold since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
As old stocks are becoming depleted, Bauer said that it may also be an opportunity to overcome the fragmented production process across NATO.
In turn, this will also help streamline the process of continuing to arm Ukraine with a more interchangeable and coherent arsenal.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
