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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
AMRAAM medium range Air-to Airmissle AIM-120 at Airpower 24 on September 7, 2024 in Zeltweg, Austria. (Mario Skraban/Getty Images)
The U.S. Defense Department awarded a contract worth around $1.2 billion to the Raytheon defense contractor for the production of air-to-air AMRAAM missiles, the department said on Sept. 11.
This will include foreign military sales to Ukraine and other countries, including Bahrain, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, and the U.K.
The AIM-120 AMRAAM is a beyond-visual-range radar-guided missile used as air-to-air weaponry by American and allied fighter jets. Ukraine can deploy these missiles from its new F-16 fighters and ground-based anti-aircraft platforms to fend off Russian aerial strikes.
The missiles, spare parts, and other associated equipment will be produced in Tucson, Arizona, and are estimated to be completed by Dec. 31, 2028.
Kyiv has been increasingly calling for faster deliveries of anti-aircraft weapons and ammunition as Russia launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks against Ukrainian cities in August.
The U.S. previously announced a new $250 million aid package for Ukraine during a Ramstein group meeting on Sept. 6, pledging air defense missiles, armored vehicles, artillery shells, and other supplies.
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.
Martin Fornusek
