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.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal talks to the media in Brussels, Belgium, on March 20, 2024. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal rejected a petition that called for the funding of the national telethon to be redistributed to the Ukrainian Armed Forces on April 15, responding that the telethon is part of the government's security and defense policy.
On the first day of the full-scale invasion, the state combined the highest-rated television channels and financed a national telethon that continues to be broadcast 24 hours a day to disseminate information in wartime.
Reporters Without Borders recently called on the government to end the telethon, warning that the continuation of the format could undermine media pluralism. Ukrainian journalists and media organizations have also come out in opposition to the format.
The government has budgeted over Hr 1.5 billion ($38 million) for the telethon and foreign broadcasting in 2024.
The petition called for the funds that finance the telethon to be instead spent on equipment like drones and pickup trucks for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"The implementation of a unified information policy is a priority issue of national security," Shmyhal responded.
Shmyhal said the telethon is therefore "an important component of countering the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in particular in the information space."
"Accordingly, redistribution of the expenses specified in the petition by directing them to the needs of other components of the security and defense sector is not appropriate," Shmyhal said.
The petition argued that the telethon is an information source "that does not reflect the real situation in the country and the world."
"In 2022 and 2023, Hr 2.13 billion ($53.8 million) were spent on them. For this amount, you could buy 21,515 DJI Mavic 3 quadcopters or 4,000 pickups in good condition," the petition said.
The petition received over 29,000 signatories. The government is required to respond to a petition if it is signed by over 25,000 people.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Dinara Khalilova
