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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Russian soldiers walk past a Russian military police armored vehicle at a position in the northeastern Syrian city of Kobane on Oct. 23, 2019. (AFP via Getty Images)
Russia has begun withdrawing its naval and military assets from Syria amid the collapse of Syria President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) said in a post on Telegram on Dec. 8.
The withdrawal comes as rebels advancing from Damascus push toward Syria's coastal provinces, including Latakia, Hama and Tartus, where Russian military bases are located, HUR wrote in its post.
HUR said the Russian army withdrew two ships, the frigate "Admiral Grygorovych" and the cargo ship "Inzhenier Trubin," from the Tartus Naval Base, which was under Russian control as part of a security arrangement with the Assad regime.
Meanwhile, Russian military planes are transferring weapons and equipment from the Khmeimim Air Base, according to HUR.
The agency claimed that losing the Tartus and Khmeimim bases would mark a significant blow to Russia's presence in the Middle East and solidify its defeat in the region.
The Kremlin has long been a key supporter of the Assad regime, maintaining a substantial military presence in Syria through facilities such as the Tartus Naval Base, the Khmeimim Air Base, and other strategic sites across the country.
Russia's military intervention played a pivotal role in Assad's 2016 capture of Aleppo, solidifying the regime's grip on power.
However, this fragile stability was upended by a lightening offensive in late November that saw the Assad regime fall to the rebels within just a couple of weeks.
Oleg Sukhov
