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.
Cash and mobile phones uncovered during searches of suspected Russian agents in Ukraine. Photo published on July 25, 2024. (SBU)
Ukrainian law enforcement agencies cracked down on a Russian-run network planning arson attacks in populated areas of Ukraine and the EU, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on July 25.
The perpetrators intended to target shopping centers, gas stations, pharmacies, and markets in Ukraine, Poland, and the Baltic countries on the instruction of Russian intelligence services, according to the statement.
Western intelligence services have warned about increasing Russian sabotage operations across Europe to sow social instability and undermine support for Ukraine.
The SBU said that the group consisted of 19 people based in Ivano-Frankivsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. They were to be dispatched abroad under falsified documents, the agency added.
Credit cards uncovered during searches of suspected Russian agents in Ukraine. Photo published on July 25, 2024. (SBU)
Weapons uncovered during searches of suspected Russian agents in Ukraine. Photo published on July 25, 2024. (SBU)
The perpetrators were then supposed to record the acts of sabotage and send the footage to Russian intelligence services, which would use it for information operations and destabilization purposes.
The searches uncovered falsified documents, assault rifles, pistols, and large sums of cash, the SBU said. The suspected organizer of the group and one of the accomplices were charged with treason and forgery, facing life in prison.
Efforts to bring the other suspects to justice are ongoing, according to the SBU.
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.
Rachel Amran
