"Contrary to Kremlin narratives, time is not on Russia’s side," reads a new report from the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE).
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.
"Our people are going to be going there," U.S. President Donald Trump 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.
Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas criticized the Olympic Committee’s suggestion to lift the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, calling it “politically and morally wrong.”
“Sport is a tool in Russia’s propaganda machine, ignoring that means siding with aggression,” she said. It's “time to strengthen isolation, not give in to Russia.”
According to German media outlet Der Spiegel, Thomas Bach, the Olympic Committee’s President, said on Jan. 28 that Russians and Belarusians could perform under a neutral flag at the Olympics 2024, as “the mission of the IOC is to bring together athletes from all over the world.”
The IOC said that it would prolong its sanctions against Russia and Belarus, which include a ban on national symbols and the invitation of government officials, but will not prevent athletes from participating “just because of their passports."
“A pathway for athletes’ participation in competition under strict conditions should therefore be further explored,” the IOC statement read.
President Volodymyr Zelensky blasted the Committee’s statement.
“There is no such thing as neutrality when a war like this is going on,” Zelensky said.
“And we know how often tyrannies try to use sports for their ideological interests. It is obvious that any neutral flag of Russian athletes is stained with blood.”

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