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.
The aftermath of the Russian drone attack on the city of Kharkiv on May 5, 2024. The emergency services had worked at the impact scene during the early hours of the day. (State Emergency Service/Facebook)
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russia launched a drone attack on Kharkiv Oblast during the early hours of May 5, setting fire to at least eight residential homes in the city of Kharkiv and injuring six people, local authorities reported.
At around 1 a.m. local time, Terekhov announced that several explosions had been reported in the city. Debris from shooting down the drones in the Osnovianskyi district of the city reportedly set fire to eight private homes in the area.
Suspilne Kharkiv later reported that a 60-year-old man was injured in the attack. The drone reportedly struck the ground between the garages and residential buildings. As a result of the explosions, private garages, vehicles as well as utility buildings were destroyed.
As of around 9 a.m. local time, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that six people were injured in a strike, including an 8-year-old girl. She had an acute stress reaction.
Serhii Korovayny
