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.
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.
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene at a hearing on April 16, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Far-right Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene officially launched her much-discussed plan to oust Speaker Mike Johnson on May 1, delivering on the threat she has made since the U.S. Congress passed Ukraine aid in April.
Greene, who is one of the most outspoken opponents of U.S. support for Ukraine in Congress, first submitted a motion to oust Johnson in March amid the impasse on the aid bill.
Following weeks of warnings, Greene finally decided to force a vote, which will require Congress to act on the motion within the next two days.
The congresswoman later posted on X that she was "calling for a vote to vacate the chair next week."
Greene has voiced a number of complaints against Johnson but has particularly focused on his decision to allow a vote on aid for Ukraine.
Beyond her move to oust Johnson and continuous criticism of U.S. aid, Greene has repeatedly spread debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraine.
Only two of Greene's Republican colleagues have publicly supported the motion to oust, and Democrats in Congress have indicated that they would back Johnson. Due to the slim majority Republicans have in Congress, Greene's move is unlikely to succeed as long Johnson has the support of some Democrats.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Nate Ostiller
