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.
Ukrainian serviceman of the 28th brigade Maksym, 20, conducts a training flight with an FPV drone in Donetsk Oblast on April 29, 2024, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Genya Savilov /AFP via Getty Images)
The Netherlands will allocate 20 million euros (nearly $22 million) to purchase first-person view (FPV) drones for Ukraine within the drone coalition, the Dutch Defense Ministry announced on July 10.
The drone coalition, which includes the Netherlands, aims to supply Kyiv with one million FPV (first-person view) drones. The members are also working to provide Ukraine with other types of drones, including reconnaissance, strike, and AI-upgraded drones.
"Ukraine urgently needs a large number of attack drones. They have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield," Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said.
"We will provide them (drones) together with 11 other countries, which we confirmed today during the NATO summit," he added.
Kyiv will receive nearly a million FPV drones this year, according to the statement. Over 256 companies, including nine Dutch ones, have registered to supply FPV drones to Ukraine.
The drone coalition was established in January to bolster Ukraine's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Fourteen countries have joined the alliance, including Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, and Denmark.
Kyiv employs long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics, as well as oil refineries and depots.
Kateryna Hodunova
