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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Andrii Nesterenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine's parliament passed a bill on Nov. 21 that will enable soldiers who deserted or were absent without leave (AWOL) for the first time to return and continue serving in the military.
The contracts of these soldiers will continue to be valid if they voluntarily decide to return to their units.
The bill comes amid broader legislative changes pertaining to draft and military service as Ukraine's Armed Forces seek to replenish their ranks amid a grueling war with Russia.
The legislation, supported by 253 lawmakers, will also ensure that the provision of relevant payments, social security, and other benefits to the soldiers resumes.
The parliament previously decriminalized the first instances of desertion or going AWOL in August, provided the soldiers returned to their units.
Earlier this month, the 53rd and the 57th mechanized brigades called on soldiers who left their units to return, saying that the "door is open."
"We can all make mistakes - it's part of life. It's important to remember that one mistake does not define us completely," the statement of the 53rd Brigade read.
"We have one country, one goal, and we can only win together."
Although Ukraine adopted a major bill reforming the draft in April, the mobilization draft slowed down in autumn, leaving many front-line units undermanned in the face of more numerous Russian troops.
A further 160,000 people are to be drafted into the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which will raise the manning of units to 85%, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Lytvynenko said on Oct. 29.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
