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.
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.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a meeting of the heads of state of the North Atlantic Council, Indo-Pacifc Partners, and the European Union during the 2024 NATO Summit on July 11, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
South Korea plans to double its contributions to NATO's trust fund for Ukraine to $24 million in 2025, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on July 11, Yonhap news agency reported.
The president made the announcement during a NATO summit in Washington, where the allies gathered to discuss further support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
"(South Korea) will continue to provide security support, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction assistance (to Ukraine)," Yoon said.
"Next year, we will double our contribution to NATO's Ukraine Trust Fund compared to this year."
Seoul donated $12 million to the NATO-Ukraine Trust Fund for healthcare and rehabilitation of injured soldiers in 2024.
South Korea has provided Kyiv with extensive economic and humanitarian aid, pledging $300 million in short-term aid in 2024 and $2 billion in long-term loan interest loans.
While initially refusing to provide direct lethal military support, the country recently said it is revising this stance in light of deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea, its chief rival.
Media reports emerged in 2023 that South Korea, a major arms producer, is indirectly supplying Ukraine with artillery shells via the U.S., but Seoul has denied this claim.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Abbey Fenbert
