Durov, a Russian-born founder of the Telegram messaging app who also holds French citizenship, claimed that a "Western European government" requested the company to "silence conservative voices in Romania ahead of today's presidential elections."
Presidential Office Chief Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with French, German, U.K., and the U.S. officials in Istanbul on May 16, Suspilne reported, citing sources in the Ukrainian delegation.
"We agreed to pursue ambitious measures to reduce Russia's ability to wage war by limiting Kremlin revenues, disrupting the shadow fleet, tightening the Oil Price Cap, and reducing our remaining imports of Russian energy."
"When European unity becomes inconvenient, disinformation goes so far as to make a simple tissue look like drugs," the Elysee Palace reacted to a fake story pushed by Russia.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on May 11.
Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
The visit marks Merz’s first trip to Ukraine, and the first time all four leaders have travelled there together.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will arrive in Kyiv early on May 10.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21.
In a boon for Kyiv's offensive capabilities, France has announced it will manufacture 1,200 AASM Hammer bombs for Ukraine in 2025. Glide bombs have become an integral part of both Russia and Ukraine's arsenals, allowing the delivery of powerful payloads for relatively little cost. The AASM Hammer is one
The French-made precision bombs are being transferred to Kyiv as part of ongoing defense support, and their use by Ukrainian fighter jets has grown significantly since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
"Vladimir Putin's Russia has made no effort, has sent no sign that it is ready for the ceasefire or the peace that President Donald Trump aspires to, and that the Europeans and, of course, the Ukrainians aspire to," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised France’s leadership in building support for a peace agreement, but stressed that European partners must “step up with real resources and political will” if they hope to bring the war to an end.
Donald Trump was told Putin was "disrespecting him by consistently breaking the ceasefire he claimed to be implementing," one source told Politico.
European nations would struggle to deploy even 25,000 troops to Ukraine as part of a proposed multinational “deterrence” force, far short of the 64,000-strong target suggested by U.K. defense officials, the Times reported on April 30 citing undisclosed European defense sources.
France has brought charges against the GRU's APT28 unit, based in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia.
"At today's Security Council meeting, we urge members to express their strong support for Ukraine's steps toward peace, clearly condemn Russia's escalated terror against civilians, and take a principled stance on the need to put more pressure on Moscow," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
"In the next eight to ten days, we will increase pressure on Russia. I remain cautious (of a ceasefire) because part of the equation depends on Moscow," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
The diplomatic meetings come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met privately with U.S. President Donald Trump at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican earlier on April 26.
Instead of placing troops near the front lines, the U.K. and France now reportedly aim to send military trainers to western Ukraine, fulfilling a commitment to deploy personnel without engaging in direct defense roles.
"The Easter truce that Putin announced, somewhat unexpectedly, was more of a PR move — a charm offensive intended to prevent President Trump from becoming impatient or upset," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
"We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace," President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote.
With the start of Donald Trump's second term in office, NATO finds itself on shaky ground — reports that the U.S. president might cut the alliance's funding do little to ease fears. A leaked White House memo revealed plans to slash the U.S. State Department funding for the next
U.S. officials said they expect tangible progress soon, while European participants pushed Washington to prepare a harsher response if Moscow fails to engage, Bloomberg reported.
"For a long time, we feared that the Europeans would not be around the table. Well, today, it is in Paris that the Europeans, the Americans, and the Ukrainians have met for the first time," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.
The decision allows Naftogaz to begin legal recovery efforts in France, including seizing Russian state assets to satisfy the award.
Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrived in Paris on April 17 to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and meet visiting U.S. officials.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are set to travel to Paris later this week for high-level meetings on ending the war in Ukraine, the U.S. State Department said on April 16.
Following the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, the European Union has restricted energy imports from Russia, profits from which fuelled Moscow's ability to wage the war against Ukraine.
President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has clarified his comments in an interview with the Times on April 11, where he seemingly suggested that Ukraine could be partitioned into separate zones as part of a peace deal with Russia.
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