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.
Illustrative image of railway tracks in Moscow Oblast, Russia, on June 9, 2018. (Vyacheslav Argenberg/Getty Images).
Sudzha, Korenevo, and Psel stations in Kursk Oblast are "temporarily closed to passengers," Russian state-owned train operator Moscow Railway said on Aug. 8, as Russia claims ongoing battles in the region.
Ukrainian forces crossed the border into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6, resulting in clashes on Russian soil that were described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as "a large-scale provocation."
Kyiv has largely refused to comment on the operation in Kursk Oblast, which takes place just as Russia is ramping up attacks in Ukraine's Donetsk Oblast.
Much of the fighting is reportedly taking place around Sudzha, a village with a population of around 5,000 people located less than 10 kilometers (six miles) from the border with Ukraine. The city of Kursk lies 85 kilometers (53 miles) to the northeast of Sudzha.
Korenevo is located around 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Sudzha, while Psel station is located in the village of Peschansky, 25 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Sudzha.
"The stations at Sudzha, Korenevo, Psel are temporarily closed to passengers," Moscow Railway said.
Train services are being carried out as normal in Kursk Oblast with the exception of the Sudzhansky and Korenovsky districts, the company said.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Aug. 8 that its forces continue to engage Ukrainian troops in these two districts.
"To ensure traffic safety, additional inspections of the infrastructure and briefings for personnel are carried out," Moscow Railway added.
The company reported later in the afternoon that an additional train to Moscow will leave Kursk railway station at 3 a.m. on Aug. 9 "to meet the demand for passenger transportation."
The number of carriages on a regularly scheduled train from Kursk to Moscow "has been temporarily increased to 10," Moscow Railways added.
According to Russian media, several thousand people have been reportedly evacuated from Kursk Oblast.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Francis Farrell
