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.
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.
An Acros combine harvester, manufactured by Rostselmash OJSC, drives through a wheat field during the summer harvest on a farm in this aerial photograph taken in Tersky village, near Stavropol, Russia, on Friday, July 9, 2021. (Photo credit: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
India is in talks with Moscow to import Russian wheat at discount prices in an attempt to push down food inflation ahead of the upcoming elections next year, Reuters reported on Aug. 17, citing four unnamed sources.
"The government is exploring the possibility of imports through private trade and government-to-government deals. The decision will be made cautiously," one of the sources told Reuters.
The discussed measure would come as part of broader efforts by New Delhi to bring down prices of basic goods to alleviate the inflation's impact on the poor, the news agency said. The final decision will reportedly be taken within the next weeks.
As Reuters noted, India has not imported a significant amount of wheat through diplomatic means since 2017.
Russia's decision to unilaterally terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17 caused spikes in grain prices and sparked fears of food insecurity worldwide, particularly in the Global South.
The deal, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products amid the ongoing full-scale invasion. The agreement had allowed for nearly 33 million metric tons of food to be exported through Ukrainian ports while it was in force, according to the U.N.
Moscow seeks to plug the hole in the market left by the grain deal's collapse. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to supplant Ukrainian exports to Africa with Russian grain.
Next to African countries, India also represents a significant market for Russia's agricultural products.
"Russia has indicated its willingness to offer a discount on prevailing market prices. There are no restrictions on the export of food commodities from Russia," one of the sources told Reuters.
"India can easily secure a discount of $25 to $40 per ton from Russia. This will ensure that the landed cost of wheat remains significantly below local prices," a Mumbai-based dealer said.
As Reuters noted, India also imports sunflower oil from Russia and settles payments in U.S. dollars, planning to use the same approach on wheat imports.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Liliane Bivings
