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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin, flanked by Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, during the naval parade on Russian Navy Day in St. Petersburg on July 31, 2022. (AFP via Getty Images)
Warsaw has summoned the Russian Ambassador to Poland after President Vladimir Putin threatened Poland and claimed it was eyeing territory in Ukraine and Belarus.
After the arrival of 5,000 Wagner fighters into Belarus following their short-lived mutiny, Poland said it would move troops to the border.
Putin reacted aggressively, saying Poland was about to occupy western parts of Ukraine and was "dreaming of Belarusian lands," threatening to respond with force.
“The western territories of present-day Poland are a gift from (Soviet tyrant Joseph) Stalin to the Poles, have our friends in Warsaw forgotten about this?” he added. “We will remind you.”
"Stalin was a war criminal responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Poles," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on July 21.
"The historical truth is not subject to discussion," he added.
Russia has regularly threatened Poland and the Baltic states with military force. Putin has also been sabre-rattling using nuclear weapons on multiple occasions.
Poland has been one of the key backers of Ukraine in its defensive war agaisnt Russia.
Morawiecki said in an interview published by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on June 4 that Ukraine deserves a quick path to NATO membership given that it "fights in the interests of NATO."
According to Morawiecki, Ukraine fights on behalf of the military alliance "in the sense that they are defending against this brutal Russian force which would jeopardize many other NATO countries," even though it is not yet a NATO member.
For this reason "they deserve to be presented with a very quick path to NATO," the Polish Prime Minister said.
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Igor Kossov
