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).
A howitzer is fired as Ukrainian artillery division supports soldiers in a counteroffensive on the Zaporizhzhia front line with M777 in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on July 16, 2023. (Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The Pentagon expects Ukraine's offensive to last at least through the fall and possibly into the winter, Politico reported on Aug. 1, citing the Pentagon officials.
The outlet wrote that Ukraine's 150,000 troops, including several Western-trained brigades, have been committed in the three directions of the counteroffensive.
According to the U.S. officials, Kyiv's forces are making "incremental gains" in all three directions but face "stiff Russian resistance," specifically "second and third layers of defenses."
Ukraine's military focuses its efforts around the Russian-held city of Bakhmut and in the south, particularly in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions. According to a recent report by the General Staff, Russian troops have been forced to retreat from their positions near Avdiivka.
In turn, Russian forces are concentrating in the Kupiansk, Lyman, and Svatove directions to draw in Ukrainian troops from Bakhmut, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Aug. 1.
Politico reported that the U.S. is preparing another military aid package for Ukraine, possibly to be presented early next week. The magazine did not elaborate on its content, however.
In the most recent tranche announced on July 25, Ukraine is to receive $400 million in military aid from the U.S., including munitions for Patriots air defense systems, NASAMS, and HIMARS, as well as Stingers, Javelins, and other weapons.
Politico reminded that Ukraine is awaiting the arrival of M1 Abrams tanks, expected as soon as early September.
A number of Abrams tanks will be initially transported to Germany in August, where they will undergo final refurbishments, the outlet reported earlier. Once that process is complete, the first batch of Abrams will be shipped to Ukraine the following month.
Asami Terajima
