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.
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 suspect quit his job at the Rivne NPP before the full-scale war began. In the spring of 2025, a GRU liaison contacted him and offered cooperation in exchange for money.
President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
U.S. and European officials held talks on May 12, during which Washington made it clear that it wanted to allow talks between Russia and Ukraine before increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin, sources told Bloomberg.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on Oct. 11, 2023. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)
NATO's European members and Canada provide almost 50% of the military support Ukraine receives to repel Russian aggression, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers on Nov. 28.
“I praise the United States for the leadership, for the critical military equipment the United States is delivering to Ukraine. But let me highlight that this is actually a joint effort… something we do together as Allies on both sides of the Atlantic,” Stoltenberg said in a joint statement with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
U.S. support for Kyiv has been growing thin as the White House's $105 billion funding package, including $61 billion for Ukraine, meets opposition from Republican lawmakers.
The Senate announced a vote on the Ukraine aid bill as early as Dec. 4, but some officials believe it would not be passed earlier than 2024.
Foreign ministers of NATO member countries gathered in Brussels on Nov. 28 for a two-day meeting focused on further support for Ukraine, among other topics.
“Ukraine will be high on the agenda. We see continued Russian attacks as intense fighting continues along the frontline. And that just makes it even more important that NATO Allies continue to support Ukraine,” added the alliance’s chief.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Stoltenberg said the discussions would also address China, the Western Balkans, and “the threats and opportunities in our southern neighborhood.”
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is set to deliver a joint statement with Stoltenberg before a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council on Nov. 29.
Oleksiy Sorokin
