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.
U.S. President Joe Biden gives a speech in the State Dining Room of the White House on Feb. 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden will focus on support of Ukraine less in his public display during the election campaign, Politico reported on May 2, citing undisclosed official sources close to the White House.
The U.S. will hold a presidential election in November, pinning incumbent Biden against the Republican candidate and former president, Donald Trump.
After Biden signed the $61 billion foreign aid bill, achieving a major foreign policy win, the president's team plans to make the U.S. commitment to Ukraine's fight against Russia less of a public focus and to address economic issues more, Politico wrote.
The democracy's cause will likely remain as a central component of Biden's campaign – tying together a range of topics from Ukraine to abortion, gun safety, education, and Trump – but White House and campaign aides do not expect a major public push to bolster support for Kyiv in the coming months, the outlet reported.
"Now that the supplemental passed Congress, it is naturally less of a salient issue," Politico wrote, citing one senior administration official.
Democrats and committed transatlanticists who back Biden believe that securing a second presidential term is the most crucial element to continue assisting Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Therefore, shifting the strategy to highlighting issues of more significant immediate concern for American voters could be more rewarding as of now.
Biden will still have a chance to address security matters during the campaign. According to Politico, the U.S. president is expected to come to France in June to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion, likely drawing parallels to the current events in his speech.
Another big stage for Biden's potential statements on the war could be the NATO summit in Washington a month later, which will mark the organization's 75th anniversary.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Ukraine hopes to continue working with Washington regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Nate Ostiller
