Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends an EU-Western Balkans Summit meeting in the Europa, the EU Council headquarters on Dec. 18, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
Russia’s threat to Europe extends beyond defense to illegal immigration and cybersecurity, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Dec. 22 during an international meeting in Finland.
"It's about our democracy, it's about influencing our public opinion, it's about what happens in Africa, it's about raw materials, it's about the instrumentalization of migration. We need to know it's a very wide idea of security," Meloni was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Russia and Belarus have been orchestrating an influx of migrants since 2021, letting thousands of asylum seekers to the European Union’s eastern borders with a pledge of safe entry into the EU.
In November 2021, Belarusian troops escorted thousands of asylum seekers to the Polish border, cutting through the wire fence to allow refugees to cross. Most of them were violently pushed back by Polish border guards who set up a no-access zone at the border for nine months.
Italy's right-wing prime minister urged the EU to view migration as a distributive problem as well as a security one.
"Security also means critical infrastructure, it means artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, raw materials, supply chains. It means a new and more effective foreign and cooperation policy, it means migration," Meloni said.
Meloni cautioned against complacency in the EU, adding that even after Russia’s war in Ukraine ends, its security challenge will not go away.
"We have to understand the threat is much wider than we imagine," Meloni said.
Tensions between Europe and Moscow have surged after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU imposed 15 packages of sanctions against Russia, and most of its members provided military support to Kyiv.
In turn, Russia has been accused of carrying out sabotage operations and hybrid attacks across the continent to disrupt defense assistance to Ukraine and spread chaos and unrest.
Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
