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.
Search operations are underway for a Russian Mi-8 helicopter in Karelia, Russia, on Feb. 5, 2024. (Artur Parfenchikov/Telegram)
The debris of the missing Mi-8 helicopter of the Russian Emergencies Situations Ministry was found in Lake Onega in Russia's Karelia Republic, Artur Parfenchikov, the head of the Karelia Republic, said on Feb. 5.
The helicopter went missing on Feb. 4 near the village of Derevyannoe in Karelia's Prionezhsky District while carrying out a training flight.
After the helicopter failed to reach its destination at the appointed time, regional authorities launched a rescue operation reportedly involving over 140 personnel and 33 pieces of equipment.
According to Parfenchikov, a crack in the ice with open water and part of a helicopter with the insignia of the Emergencies Situations Ministry were found 10 kilometers from the village of Derevyannoe.
Parfenchikov added that the three crew had not been found. According to the Russian state-owned news agency TASS, the official first reported their death but later changed his statement.
Russian authorities told TASS that a possible cause of the incident was ice that appeared on the helicopter, causing a malfunction in the engine.
The Karelia Republic lies in Russia's northeast at the borders with Finland.
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.
Nate Ostiller
