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.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on July 12, 2024. (Viktor Orban/X)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida on July 12, the Hungarian leader said on social media.
The visit, described by Orban as "peace mission 5.0.," took place at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort after the NATO summit in Washington, where partners launched the Ukraine Compact, a security framework signed by 32 allies.
Prior to that, the Hungarian leader visited Ukraine, Russia, and China in what he presented as an effort to promote a ceasefire and peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. During his visit to Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected Orban's ceasefire proposal.
"We discussed ways to make peace. The good news of the day: he's (Trump) going to solve it," Orban wrote on X.
The Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee has repeatedly said he could end Russia's war within 24 hours if elected president, without specifying the steps for reaching a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
"Thank you Viktor. There must be peace, and quickly," Trump said following the meeting.
Orban has a long-standing relationship with conservatives in the U.S. and is the only European leader who is openly friendly toward the Kremlin. He has spoken highly of Trump on several occasions since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, praising him as "a man of peace."
Zelensky said that he is "potentially ready" to meet with Trump and urged him to reveal his plan for ending Russia's war against Ukraine so Kyiv can be prepared for any risks such a plan might entail.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Martin Fornusek
