The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and President Volodymyr Zelensky speak at a news conference in Kyiv on April 20, 2023. (Photo: Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A group of Western allies, including the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany are engaged in "frantic, last-minute" negotiations over a security assurance declaration for Ukraine ahead of the Vilnius NATO summit, Politico reported.
According to an undisclosed French official, the allies are “very hopeful" the negotiations "can be concluded by the end of the summit."
The objective is to establish a broad-based plan to secure ongoing military aid to Ukraine, accommodating diverse terms and conditions from country to country.
While a security assurance declaration may simply consolidate the aid allies currently provide Ukraine, the aim of the declaration is to offer a more enduring demonstration of unity among member nations.
“It is basically a guarantee towards Ukraine that we will, for a very long time to come, we will equip their armed forces, we will finance them, we will advise them, we will train them in order for them to have a deterrent force against any future aggression,” a senior NATO diplomat told Politico.
Kyiv seeks swift inclusion into NATO, which would invoke mandatory military support from other members under Article 5. However, a significant number of NATO allies maintain that Ukraine should only be considered for membership once the war with Russia ends.
In the meantime, Politico reports, the Alliance's primary powers have been looking for provisional security commitments they can offer Ukraine.
A meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to take place in London on Monday, in order for their staffs to discuss and finalize any remaining details, a NATO diplomat told Politico.
Mark Dietzen
