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.
Russian drone debris downed near Ukraine's parliament on Sept. 7, 2024. (Verkhovna Rada / Telegram)
Debris from a Russian Shahed-type kamikaze drone downed overnight was discovered outside the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, on the morning of Sept. 7.
Due to the threat of drones, an air alert was active in Kyiv between 3 a.m. and 3:20 a.m. on Sept. 7, and air defense was audible. The Verkhovna Rada is located in Kyiv's central Pecherskyi district.
Shortly after the end of the alert, the Kyiv City Military Administration reported that a fire had broken out in an open area of the Pecherskyi district due to falling debris, but there was no damage to property or reports of casualties.
"After today's night attack by Russian drones, the wreckage of a downed drone was found near the building of the Verkhovna Rada," the parliament reported on Telegram. "No damage was found."
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Martin Fornusek
