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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. The Westminster Magistrates Court in London, where Ugnius Asmena and Jakeem Barrington Rose charged with planning an arson plot against Ukrainian targets are due to appear on Aug. 3, 2024. (Niklas Halle'n / AFP via Getty Images)
Two more men have been charged in connection with an alleged arson plot against Ukraine-linked businesses in London, the Metropolitan Police said on Aug. 3.
In late April, 20-year-old Dylan Earl from the U.K., who allegedly has ties to Russia's Wagner mercenary group, was charged with orchestrating a blaze at an industrial estate in Leyton in March after being recruited as a Russian spy.
Ugnius Asmena, 19, and Jakeem Barrington Rose, 22, are charged with aggravated arson under the U.K. National Security Act, legislation passed in 2023 to address hostile activity from foreign states. The latter one also faces two charges of possessing an offensive weapon, the police said.
The two were detained on Aug. 1, bringing the total number of suspects to seven, and were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Aug. 3.
Four other men, Paul English, Nil Mensah, Jake Reeves, and Dmitrijus Paulauska, have also been charged in connection with the case.
According to the investigators, Earl recruited and paid others to carry out arson attacks on Ukrainian-related businesses owned by two parcel delivery services, Oddisey and Meest UK.
Court documents indicate that Earl has alleged connections to the Wagner Group, designated a terrorist organization in the U.K.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
The Kyiv Independent
