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.
A Ukrainian tank crew climbs into a Soviet-era T-64 tank in Zaporizhzhia Oblast to make final adjustments before heading into battle on Nov. 05, 2024. (Fermin Torrano/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian assaults in Zaporizhzhia Oblast could begin "any day," Vladyslav Voloshyn, Ukrainian military's Southern Command spokesperson, told Reuters on Nov. 11.
In early October, Russian troops have reportedly renewed their attack in the Zaporizhzhia sector. Kyiv warned of a potential Russian push in the southern region, just as Moscow's troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east.
According to Voloshyn, Russia is also deploying trained assault groups to advance in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. They are preparing to attack, he added.
"(The assaults) could begin in the near future, we're not even talking about weeks, we're expecting it to happen any day," the spokesperson said.
Ukraine's military intelligence said that Russia was planning to use armored vehicles and a significant number of drones, Voloshyn said, although it is not yet clear whether this will be a single offensive push or separate attacks.
"They are preparing both armored groups and light vehicles — buggies, motorcycles — to conduct these assault operations," he added.
Voloshyn said in October that Russian forces were massing for a breakthrough in the direction of Orikhiv and Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The area was the main axis of Ukraine's southern counteroffensive in 2023, which led to the liberation of the settlement of Robotyne but achieved no major results.
Russian troops have intensified attacks against Zaporizhzhia, targeting its civilian infrastructure with guided aerial bombs.
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.
Dinara Khalilova
