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.
Current European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski. (European Parliament website)
European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski said he wants new restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural imports as the Commission mulls the extension of the free trade regime with Ukraine until 2025, the Polish radio RMF24 reported on Jan. 5.
The flow of cheaper agricultural produce from Ukraine, one of the world's leading producers, sparked worries among European farmers and governments about uneven competition and risks to domestic production.
Wojciechowski, an EU commissioner from Poland, unofficially threatened to withdraw his support for continued trade liberalization with Ukraine if his conditions are not met, RMF24 reported. Following the latest extension, the agreement is set to expire on June 5.
The commisoner's homeland has been at the forefront of the grain imports dispute with Kyiv. Polish Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekerski said on Jan. 4 that the embargo on Ukrainian grain would continue "indefinitely."
Speaking to RMF24, Wojciechowski said that he demands protective clauses and quantitative restrictions, particularly on poultry meat and sugar from Ukraine.
"My big task for 2024 is to ensure that the new regulation – if issued – introduces sufficiently strong protective clauses so that no oversupply crisis happens again," the commissioner commented.
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Following the outbreak of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine and threats to Black Sea shipping, the EU temporarily lifted restrictions on Ukrainian imports in June 2022.
The resulting influx of Ukrainian goods caused logistical bottlenecks and pushed down prices in several neighboring countries. After an appeal by Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia, the EU temporarily banned grain and several other select agricultural goods between May and September 2023.
Poland was one of the countries that had prolonged the embargo unilaterally after its expiration. Polish farmers currently block one of the crossings with Ukraine, demanding governmental subsidies and other support in fear of Ukrainian competition.
The EU Commission's deputy director for agriculture, Pierre Bascou, said in early December that he does not see very significant adverse effects on European markets by Ukrainian goods.
He nevertheless admitted that "some vulnerability and risk" had been identified in sectors like poultry, eggs, and sugar. Imports of these products have been on the rise recently, pushing down prices within the European bloc.
Not all EU officials share Wojciechowski's position. Valdis Dombrovskis, the commissioner for trade, wants to weaken the existing clauses and eliminate the possibility of temporary EU bans like the one introduced last year.
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.
