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.
Snow-covered trucks stand in a line over 7 kilometers long near Bidovce, Slovakia on Nov. 28, 2023. (Robert Nemeti/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Slovak truckers union UNAS said on Dec. 5 that it would begin a total blockade of the Uzhhorod-Vysne Nemecke border crossing between Slovakia and Ukraine if its demands regarding the EU's liberalization of the permit system for Ukrainian truckers are not addressed.
Stanislav Skala, the president of UNAS, said that he understood the "path to a solution is not easy" but that it is "unacceptable for the current situation to remain."
He also thanked Slovak Transport Minister Jozef Raz for raising the issue with the EU's Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in Brussels on Dec. 4, and said that UNAS representatives were scheduled to meet with Raz on Dec. 7 to further discuss the protesters' demands.
Slovak truckers previously blocked the Uzhhorod-Vysne Nemecke border crossing on Nov. 21 and again on Dec. 1. Ukrainian Deputy Infrastructure Minister Serhii Derkach said on Dec. 4 that the blockade had been suspended.
Polish truckers began protesting and blockading border crossings with Ukraine in early November, saying that a high number of Ukrainian drivers entering Poland are hauling goods from Poland to other countries, undercutting local businesses that cannot match lower Ukrainian prices.
Ukrainian officials and industry representatives deny the accusations.
The situation remains complicated at the Polish-Ukrainian border, where Polish protesters have blocked four crossings, causing huge lines on both sides.
Talks between Kyiv and Warsaw on Dec. 1 brought some results, as the parties agreed to open the Uhryniv-Dolhobychuv checkpoint for empty trucks.
Other steps agreed on between Ukraine and Poland included creating separate electronic passes for empty vehicles at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk and Krakivets-Korczowa crossing points and launching a pilot electronic queueing system.
Although Poland wants to return to the permit system – one of the key demands of Polish protesters – Derkach said that the European Commission does not plan changes and is ready to defend the transport visa-free regime with Ukraine.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Nina Mishchenko
