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.
Illustrative purposes only: Bullet casings sit in packets before loading into belts for use in machine guns at Ukroboronprom's Mayak PJSC manufacturing plant in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Wednesday, March 9, 2016. (Vincent Mundy/Bloomberg via Getty Images) // UEW
The U.S. may announce later on March 12 a military aid package for Ukraine worth as much as $400 million, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed American officials.
This would be the first package since last December, as U.S. funds for Kyiv have been blocked by disputes in Congress.
One of the sources told Reuters "that the funding for this package is from credits refunded to the Pentagon for recent purchases."
Politico reported, citing its sources, that the package should be worth $300 million and include cluster munitions-armed versions of ATACMS long-range missiles that can reach targets 160 kilometers (100 miles) away.
The U.S. provided a number of ATACMS missiles with a range of 160 kilometers last October. Newer variants, which can reach targets 300 kilometers (186 miles) away, have not been supplied to Ukraine.
The new tranche should also include 155 mm artillery shells and the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS), Politico wrote.
U.S. aid to Ukraine has been delayed since autumn 2023, as various versions of a foreign aid bill have been derailed due to border security disagreements.
Most recently, a $95 billion aid package to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan passed in the Senate with bipartisan support, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to bring it to a vote in the House of Representatives.
Johnson is reportedly allowing Republicans who support Ukrainian aid to work on an alternative bill, which is expected to be complete by late March or early April.
The delays led to Washington considering alternative ways of getting assistance to Ukraine, for example, by tapping into the U.S. Army's own funds.
Equipment and weapons shortages have led to recent Russian territorial advances, including the capturing of Avdiivka — a key city near occupied Donetsk — where heavy fighting took place for many months.
Sonya Bandouil
