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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Firefighters putting out a fire in Odesa after a Russian missile strike on April 29, 2024. (State Emergency Service/Telegram)
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed seven people and injured at least 36 over the past day, regional authorities said early on April 30.
Russia targeted a total of 10 Ukrainian oblasts — Zaporizhzhia, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Odesa, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk. Casualties were reported in the latter four regions.
Russia carried out a missile attack on the regional center of Odesa, killing five people and injuring at least 31.
By April 30, 23 people are still getting medical care in the hospital. This included eight people in serious condition, four of whom are in critical state, including a four-year-old girl, according to Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper.
In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed, and two others were injured in an attack on the village of Krasnohorivka in the Pokrovsk district, Governor Vadim Filashkin said.
In Kherson Oblast, 17 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson, had been under attack over the past day.
TheKherson Oblast Military Administration reported that one person was killed and another one was injured due to the recent strikes. Russian attacks also damaged 10 houses, a critical infrastructure facility, an administration building, a cultural institution, and a car.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian troops attacked 18 settlements, including Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.
Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that Russia struck Kharkiv with KAB guided bombs, injuring a 42-year-old man. He was hospitalized in serious condition.
The village of Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, in the northeastern part of Kharkiv Oblast, was also struck with KAB guided bombs. A 67-year-old man was wounded due to the strike.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Stanislav Storozhenko
