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.
According to Steve Witkoff, the key topics in the peace discussions are the fate of the five partially or fully occupied Ukrainian regions, the status of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine's access to the Dnipro River and the Black Sea.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is reportedly offering a deal that would give U.S. companies access to Syria's natural wealth, reminiscent of the minerals agreement Washington recently signed with Kyiv.
Donald Trump leaves the stage after taking part in a roundtable discussion hosted by Building America's Future in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 29, 2024. (Charly Triballeau/ AFP) (Pugliano/Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to allow Russia to retain control over seized Ukrainian territory is "set in stone," the Times reported on April 25, but flexibility remains about recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Trump, who briefly met Zelensky during Pope Francis's funeral in the Vatican on April 26, believes the Ukrainian leader "really has no choice" but to agree to the terms, according to the Times' source close to U.S Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump is reportedly threatening to withdraw from the peace talks next week unless a deal is reached.
A day before, Witkoff held a three-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin discussing the possibility of direct negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov described the conversation as "constructive and useful."
Under the U.S. proposal, presented by Witkoff to Moscow and Kyiv, Washington would reportedly offer formal recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea, annexed in 2014, and de facto recognition of Russian-occupied areas in southern and eastern Ukraine seized since 2022.
The Times reported that Trump remains flexible on formally recognizing Crimea at this stage and is not pressuring Zelensky "to sign away Ukrainian sovereignty."
"Trump’s view is that this land has been seized and it is not going back," the source told the Times. "The deal on the table is that the Russian-occupied territory is going to remain occupied. That part is set in stone."
The U.S. administration reportedly believes that rejecting the deal would leave Ukraine isolated, relying heavily on European funding and weaponry as the war continues.
Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have reiterated that their constitution forbids ceding Crimea and that no peace deal involving territorial concessions is acceptable. Zelensky and Ukrainian policy makers, including Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa, have vowed to continue efforts to reclaim all occupied territory.
"We’ll never recognise the attempted annexation by Russia," Betsa told Times Radio.
Earlier this week, Ukraine and its European allies reportedly shared a proposal with the U.S. calling for robust security guarantees, a full and unconditional ceasefire, and no discussion of territorial concessions before a truce is established.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
