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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
The aftermath of Russian attacks against New York, Donetsk Oblast, on Jan. 15, 2024. (Governor Vadym Filashkin/Telegram)
Russian air and missile strikes against the village of Niu-York in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 15 injured at least three people, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported.
Five others had been trapped in the rubble of a building damaged in the attack, the governor added. Relevant services are working on the site to clear the debris.
According to Filashkin, Russian forces dropped two guided aerial bombs against the village and launched a missile against the third floor of a building, collapsing its entrance.
"This is another cynical Russian attack on the civilian population," Filashkin wrote on Telegram.
Further consequences of the attack are being determined.
The village of Niu-York lies in the front-line Toretsk community, a common target of Russian strikes.
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
