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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) attends a remote meeting with Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, via video call in Moscow, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Residents who have been displaced by the ongoing fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast will be paid 10,000 rubles ($115) each as compensation, President Vladimir Putin said on Aug. 8.
In a video conference with Alexey Smirnov, the acting governor of the oblast, Putin said that it would a be one-time payment to "citizens who need it." He added that "other damage will also need to be assessed."
Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, resulting in clashes on Russian soil that were described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "a large-scale provocation."
Kyiv has largely refused to comment on the operation in Kursk Oblast, which takes place just as Russia is ramping up attacks in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.
Much of the fighting is reportedly taking place around Sudzha, a village with a population of around 5,000 people located less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border with Ukraine. The city of Kursk lies 85 kilometers (53 miles) to the northeast of Sudzha.
According to Russian media, several thousand people have been reportedly evacuated from Kursk Oblast.
The state-owned train operator Moscow Railway said on Aug. 8 that the railway stations in Sudzha, Korenevo, and Psel are "temporarily closed to passengers."
Francis Farrell
