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 purposes only: Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson speaks during the press conference in Stockholm, Sweden, on Dec. 11, 2023. (Atila Altuntas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Swedish government has agreed to create a support framework for Ukraine, which would allocate 75 billion Swedish krona ($7 billion) in military support from 2024 to 2026, the Swedish government said on May 22.
With this proposal, Stockholm's civilian and military aid to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war will amount to over 100 billion Swedish krona (over $9 billion).
"Ukraine's fight against Russia's war of aggression continues and Sweden will support Ukraine's fight as long as it takes," the joint press release by the country's defense and finance ministries read.
"Sweden will increase the support, as the framework amounts to 75 billion Swedish krona in military support for the years 2024–2026, which is 25 billion Swedish krona ($2.3 billion) per year," according to the statement.
The framework could cover future equipment donations, financial contributions, and financial support for the procurement of defense equipment.
The Swedish government reached an agreement on the framework with the right-wing Sweden Democrats party, which provides confidence and support to the ruling parties in the parliament.
In an interview with Bloomberg published on May 21, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said that the country is ramping up its capacities to increase aid to Ukraine, but the process can take up to two years.
"Russia has gotten back on its feet faster than the Euro-Atlantic community... I expect we will catch up, but I think it will take a year or two before we see the full effect," the minister said.
Kateryna Denisova
