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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce speaks to reporters at a press briefing on March 24, 2025. (Screenshot / U.S. State Department)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's calls to establish a temporary government in Ukraine to replace President Volodymyr Zelensky were "not appreciated" by U.S. President Donald Trump, a State Department spokesperson said on March 31.
"There was an idea from Russia about a temporary administration that was not appreciated by the president," State Department Spokeswoman Tammy Bruce toldreporters during a press briefing. "Ukraine is... a constitutional democracy. Governance in Ukraine is determined by its constitution and the Ukrainian people."
The State Departments comments on the matter comes just one day after Trump said that he was "pissed off" and "very angry" regarding Putin's fixation over Zelensky's presidency.
Putin suggested on March 28 that a transitional administration, overseen by the U.N. and several countries, could be formed in Ukraine to organize elections — a proposal that the White House immediately dismissed.
"We are committed to the diplomacy necessary to achieve a full ceasefire and to bring the parties to the negotiating table for a final and lasting settlement. President Trump has made clear that Russia and Ukraine need to move to a full ceasefire now. None of that has changed," the spokesperson said.
Ahead of formal peace talks, Putin reiterated his meritless claim that Zelensky is "illegitimate" and said that he has no right to sign any documents in potential peace negotiations.
As ceasefire negotiations continue to drag on, Trump again threatened on March 31 to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine.
"I want to make sure that he follows through, and I think he will. I don’t want to go secondary tariffs on his oil. But I think, you know, it’s something I would do if I thought he wasn’t doing the job," Trump said.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on March 31 that Trump has "expressed displeasure" with both Russian and Ukrainian leaders amid efforts to secure a ceasefire in the full-scale war — with Trump expressing his frustration about his ongoing effort to reach a minerals deal with Ukrainian officials.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Dmytro Basmat
