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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
The South Korean flag also known as the Taegukgi, is seen flying in Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on March 5, 2023. (Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
South Korea plans to tighten export controls on Russia and Belarus for goods that could be used for military purposes, the South Korean Trade Ministry announced on Feb. 26.
Since the start of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Kyiv’s allies have implemented a record number of sanctions against Moscow, including measures to prevent the export of military equipment or dual-use goods.
Russia has found ways to bypass the sanctions, especially by using companies located in third-party countries as an intermediary.
As attempts to evade export restrictions may increase, South Korea’s Trade Ministry will focus on monitoring exports of "common high-priority items," including chips that could be used in drones, the ministry said in a statement.
South Korea added 682 goods with actual or potential military use last week to the list of goods to be prohibited from shipping to Russia and Belarus, the South Korean Yonhap news agency reported.
Canada, the EU, the U.K., and the U.S. have recently announced additional sanctions against Russia and entities in third countries that help Moscow circumvent previous restrictions and sustain its war machine.
Igor Kossov
