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.
Ukrainian soldiers fire D-30 artillery in the direction of Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Dec. 8, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian troops started using military equipment near the towns of Toretsk and Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Dec. 24.
Speaking on national television, Bobovnikova said that fighting with the use of armored combat vehicles, motorcycles and buggies took place in the village of Nelipivka south of Toretsk.
"We didn't see this before, but now the enemy has become more active," she said.
Toretsk and Chasiv Yar have become one of the hottest spots in Donetsk Oblast in recent months as Russian troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east.
The estimated advance of Russian forces in Donetsk Oblast as of Dec. 23, 2024, according to DeepState. (DeepState/OpenStreetMaps)
The spokesperson described the situation in Toretsk as "the most difficult."
"The fighting is for every house. And you need to understand that somewhere they (Russia) can advance by one house, and literally the next day we are already taking back this house," Bobovnikova said.
According to the spokesperson, it is difficult to use tanks and armored combat vehicles in both Toretsk and Chasiv Yar because they are "not so effective in urban areas" and difficult to maneuver.
Throughout 2024, Ukraine has faced a challenging situation in its defense of the front line. Apart from Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine expects Russian forces to launch larger-scale attacks in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Asami Terajima
