Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
Damage to one of the embassies as a result of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2024. (Ukraine's Foreign Ministry)
A Russian missile attack on Kyiv damaged a number of foreign embassies on Dec. 20, Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said at a briefing.
The embassies of Albania, Argentina, Palestine, North Macedonia, Portugal, and Montenegro are located in a building heavily damaged by the Russian strike.
Russia launched a series of missile attacks against Kyiv earlier in the morning, killing one person, injuring 12, and causing damage across the city, local authorities reported.
The capital was attacked with five ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M or the North Korean KN-23 model, all of which were shot down, the Air Force claimed.
Damage to Western embassies as a result of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2024. (Ukraine's Foreign Ministry)
Damage to Western embassies as a result of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2024. (Ukraine's Foreign Ministry)
Damage to Western embassies as a result of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2024. (Ukraine's Foreign Ministry)
Damage to Western embassies as a result of a Russian missile attack on Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 20, 2024. (Ukraine's Foreign Ministry)
"Windows, doors, and the ceiling have been damaged in the premises (of embassies). This is an absolutely barbaric attack by Russia on diplomatic institutions," Tykhyi said.
No casualties among diplomatic staff were reported.
The blast wave also damaged the Czech Center in Ukraine's capital, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry.
"No one was inside, but civilians were nearby. Once Ukraine wins, the Kremlin will pay for all lost lives and damage," the Czech Foreign Ministry said.
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.
Martin Fornusek
