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.
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.
Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant in Zaporizhzhia after Russian attack on March 22, 2024 (Zaporizhzhia Oblast Prosecutor's Office)
Russia's attack on the Dnipro Hydroelectric Power Plant on March 22 caused at least $3.5 million in environmental damage, although that figure is expected to rise, Ukraine's Environment and Natural Resources Minister Ruslan Strilets said on March 27.
"Environmental damage includes not only destruction but also water pollution, explosions, and burning, which have a significant impact on the ecosystem. This figure might change, but only upwards," Strilets saidduring a national TV broadcast.
Ukrhydroenergo's head said that the adjacent dam also suffered damage, but there was no danger of a breach.
Ukraine's Water Agency, as well as the Environmental Inspectorate continue to monitor the quality of the water around the hydroelectric plant, but have insisted that was "no risk" to civilians who consume the water, Strilets said.
"The task of preventing contaminated water from reaching the point of consumption for the population has already been completed," the Minister added.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has suffered at least $60 billion in total environmental damage caused by Russian aggression, Prime Minister Denis Shmyhal said in October 2023, although that number has risen since.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructurehave also amounted to at least $11.5 billion in losses for Ukraine, Deputy Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk said on March 23.
Hrynchuk noted that the attack on the Dnipro Hydroelectric power plant was not included in the estimate provided, adding that the most recent attack could be "assessed in large sums, possibly in the billions of dollars."
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Dmytro Basmat
