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.
Reactor four at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. (Photo: Energoatom/ Telegram.)
A new team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine on March 1, marking the first time the agency's monitors reached the site through the occupied territory.
The Moscow-appointed head of the plant said the rotation of inspectors was facilitated by Russian forces and followed extensive talks between the heads of Russia’s state nuclear company, Rosatom, and the IAEA.
The Kyiv Independent can't immediately verify these claims.
The latest rotation faced delays due to ongoing military activity around the site, with Kyiv and Moscow each accusing the other of violating safety agreements meant to ensure the IAEA’s secure passage.
The IAEA did not provide immediate comment and Ukrainian officials did not issue a statement on the matter.
Russian forces seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the largest in Europe, during the early weeks of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. While the facility remains under Russian control, it is not currently generating electricity.
Since September 2022, the IAEA has maintained a presence at Zaporizhzhia and Ukraine’s other nuclear facilities, aiming to monitor risks and ensure nuclear safety. The agency has consistently warned that ongoing hostilities in the area pose serious dangers. Despite its efforts, security concerns around the plant remain unresolved as fighting continues in the region.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has urged both Ukrainian and Russian forces to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could jeopardize the plant’s safety.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
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