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.
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.
Law enforcement officers detained two Ukrainians who were preparing a terror attack in the city of Kyiv and were coordinated by Russian intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine claimed on Oct. 23, 2024. (SBU/Telegram)
Law enforcement officers detained two Ukrainians who were preparing a terror attack in the city of Kyiv and were coordinated by Russian intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) claimed on Oct. 23.
According to the statement, the suspects planned to detonate improvised explosives in a crowded place in Ukraine's capital to cause "the maximum number of civilian deaths" and sow panic.
Throughout the full-scale war, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have accused numerous citizens of spying or otherwise cooperating with Russian security services.
Law enforcement officers detained two Ukrainians who were preparing a terror attack in the city of Kyiv and were coordinated by Russian intelligence, the Security Service of Ukraine claimed on Oct. 23, 2024. (SBU/Telegram)
Russian intelligence allegedly recruited a 20-year-old resident of the city of Zaporizhzhia via Telegram and instructed her on how to make explosives. She also engaged her 26-year-old partner to cooperate, the SBU said.
The SBU claimed that the suspect was in contact with a Russian military intelligence officer from the Russian-occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. She used two cell phones to connect a detonator with plastic explosives, which she had to get from a hidden cache, according to the law enforcement agency.
Before the planned terror attack, the two were supposed to fulfill a "test task" and set on fire several vehicles of the Ukrainian military in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The SBU detained both of them when they tried to set fire to an infantry fighting vehicle.
If charged, the suspects may face life in prison with confiscation of property.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Nate Ostiller
