"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.
"Our people are going to be going there," U.S. President Donald Trump 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.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a major industrial and logistical hub, remains untouched by ground incursions but is under growing threat.
Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak said Ukraine is "ready to discuss anything," but "only if a ceasefire is achieved."
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.
Report: Russian banks evade sanctions by trading cash for gold

Some Russian banks may be evading sanctions on banknotes by trading gold in the UAE and Turkey, according to a report by Sayari, a financial-intelligence company.
Sanctions on shipping banknotes to Russia were imposed after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The restrictions ban exports of dollars and euros to Moscow.
Sayari's research found that in the first quarter of 2023, some Russian banks imported over $82 million in dollars, euros, and UAE dirhams. One of the financial institutions was Lanta Bank JSC, whose owners also control the mining company GV Gold.
According to the data, the entities that sent cash to Russia also received imports of gold from the country during the same time period.
Gold is one of Russia's most valuable exports, often ranked second after gas and oil. Western sanctions have curbed the trade of Russian gold, halting deliveries to hubs in London and New York and shifting trade to Turkey and the UAE.
Additional sanctions led a large share of exports to move to Hong Kong in 2023.
The Sayari report shows that Russian banks continued to trade gold in exchange for banknotes until July or August of 2023.
The U.K.'s National Crime Agency (NCA) issued a warning in 2023 that Russia used gold as a means of evading sanctions.
New rounds of Western sanctions have aimed to target Russia's sanctions-evasion efforts. Russian media reported on Feb. 1 that Turkish banks have ended relationships with Russian businesses for fear of triggering U.S. sanctions.

Most Popular

After 3 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Europe announces plan to ban all Russian gas imports

Journalist Roshchyna's body missing organs after Russian captivity, investigation says

Ukrainian sea drone downs Russian fighter jet in 'world-first' strike, intelligence says

Ukraine is sending the war back to Russia — just in time for Victory Day

'Justice inevitably comes' — Zelensky on deaths of high-ranking Russian officials
Editors' Picks

How medics of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade deal with horrors of drone warfare

As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home

'I just hate the Russians' — Kyiv district recovers from drone strike as ceasefire remains elusive
