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.
Class frigate Admiral Gorshkov (L-back) and oil tanker Academic Pashin, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Venezuela, arrive at La Guaira's harbor on July 2, 2024. (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images)
Two Russian naval ships docked in Venezuela's La Guaira port on July 2 after exercises in the North Atlantic supposedly intended to "show the flag" in the region.
The frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the replenishment tanker Akademik Pashin were part of a small group of vessels from the Northern Fleet that arrived in Cuba last month, along with a tugboat and a nuclear-powered submarine.
The voyage, which has been closely tracked by the U.S., was broadly seen as a demonstration by Russia that it can still project naval power, even after the losses Ukraine inflicted on its Black Sea Fleet.
The visit to the two Latin American countries underscores their close relations with Moscow, bolstered by the shared animosity toward Washington.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has denounced Western sanctions imposed against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and called Caracas and Moscow "loyal allies."
At the same time, Maduro seeks talks with the U.S. on easing sanctions on his own country ahead of the presidential election, which could secure him a third term in office.
The July 28 vote has been dubbed the "greatest challenge" to Maduro's United Socialist Party, which has held a tight grip on the country for 25 years but is facing increasingly dire social and economic crises.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Anastasiia Lapatina
