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.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Jan. 15, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Jan. 24 new guidance that halts spending on most foreign aid grants for 90 days. This directive, which took State Department officials by surprise, appears to include funding for military assistance to Ukraine, Politico reports.
According to a document obtained by the news outlet, the guidance requires staff to issue "stop-work orders" on nearly all "existing foreign assistance awards" and is effective immediately.
The Kyiv Independent can't immediately verify this information.
Rubio's guidance goes beyond President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, which called for a 90-day pause on foreign aid grants while the secretary reviews them. The president's order left some ambiguity about whether already appropriated funds or Ukraine aid would be affected, but Rubio's directive makes it clear that no further actions will be taken to disburse funds for already approved programs, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter.
The sweeping nature of the mandate shocked many within the department. "State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance," one official told Politico. While the document allows some exceptions—such as foreign military financing for Egypt and Israel, emergency food assistance, and "legitimate expenses incurred prior to the date of this" guidance—its broad scope leaves room for interpretation. It also states that decisions must remain "consistent with the terms of the relevant award."
Officials believe the halt will affect key allies, including Ukraine, Jordan, and Taiwan. One State Department official and two former Biden administration officials, all speaking anonymously, voiced concerns about the potential impact on these partners. The guidance could expose the U.S. government to lawsuits for unfulfilled contracts if the terms are found to be violated. However, the directive states that decisions regarding the continuation, modification, or termination of programs will follow Rubio’s review.
The omission of Ukraine aid is particularly concerning for American officials who see supporting Ukraine as essential to defeating Russia. While Republicans, including Trump, have long criticized what they view as wasteful foreign aid under Democratic administrations, Trump has recently intensified his stance on Russia. He has threatened Moscow with sanctions if it does not end its nearly three-year invasion of Ukraine and declared that "Putin bears responsibility for ending the war."
The guidance was reviewed and cleared by several senior State Department officials, including counselor Michael Needham and policy planning director Michael Anton. The department is now tasked with preparing a report within 85 days of the guidance’s issuance.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Andrea Januta
