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 Russian attack on the village of Khotimlya in Kharkiv Oblast on June 8, 2024. (Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office)
Russian troops attacked the village of Khotimlia in Kharkiv Oblast on June 8, killing one person and injuring two, Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.
Khotimlia in the Chuhuiv district, with a pre-war population of around 1,350 people, is located nearly 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the regional capital, Kharkiv.
The village was reportedly hit with two Russian guided aerial bombs at around 3:45 p.m. local time. The attack damaged houses, cars, and school, according to the authorities.
A man was killed and two women, aged 35 and 43, suffered injuries, the prosecutor said.
Russian forces launched new offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv Oblast on May 10, exposing Kharkiv and a number of border settlements in the region to heavy attacks.
As Moscow opened a new front, Kyiv urged allies to lift a ban on strikes inside Russia with Western weapons to prevent further attacks on Ukrainian territory. In late May, the U.S. gave Ukraine permission to use some American weapons to hit targets on Russian soil across the border from both Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
