"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).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
A man exits the Moldovan Parliament building on Oct. 19, 2024, in Chisinau, Moldova. (Pierre Crom/Getty Images)
Moldovan officials have condemned recent remarks by Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who claimed that Moldova “will either become part of another state or cease to exist” due to its “anti-Russian policy,” Moldovan media outlet NewsMaker reported on January 14.
Patrushev made the controversial statement in an interview, further blaming the Moldovan government for the energy crisis and urging Chisinau to "not deceive itself or its people," but instead "admit its mistakes and start fixing the situation."
Moldova’s Foreign Ministry called the remarks unnaceptable interference in the internal affairs of the country.
“Moldova is a sovereign state that stands firmly on the path of democracy and European integration, in line with the will of its citizens,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The energy crisis, worsened by Russia's suspension of gas supplies in December 2024, has been labeled by Chisinau as Kremlin blackmail and a threat to national security.
Moldova began sourcing electricity from European markets, resulting in significant disruptions in the Russian-controlled Transnistria region, including power outages and industrial shutdowns.
Transnistrian authorities previously rejected an offer from Chisinau to help purchase gas via European platforms.
While Moldova has transitioned to European energy supplies, Transnistria remains heavily reliant on Russian gas. Russian troops have been stationed in the region since the early 1990s.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Oleg Sukhov
