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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the "Ukraine. Year 2024" forum on Feb. 25, 2024, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Oleksandr Gusev/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The leaders of Spain, Belgium, Latvia, and Finland all confirmed on May 7 that they would be attending the upcoming peace summit to be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland.
The event will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by President Volodymyr Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo all confirmed their attendance in phone calls with Zelensky on May 7.
"We agree on the importance of the Peace Conference for Ukraine that will take place next month in Switzerland, in which I will participate," Sanchez said in a post on X, adding: "We continue working for a just and lasting peace based on respect for international law."
In a post on X, Zelensky said he had discussed "defense and political cooperation" with De Croo, adding: "We value Belgium's decision to begin providing Ukraine with F-16 jets already this year."
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In a press conference on May 7, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silinia accused Russia of using the threat of nuclear weapons to intimidate countries attending the summit. Russia has not been invited to participate in the global peace summit, and Moscow has said it would refuse to attend even if invited.
Russia said on May 7 that it will hold drills to practice the usage of tactical nuclear weapons to counter what it referred to as "provocative statements and threats from certain Western officials."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without its nuclear arsenal.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the exercise's purpose is to "maintain the readiness of personnel and equipment" and "unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state."
The ministry did not specify which Western officials it said were making threats or provocative statements.
Abbey Fenbert
