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.
Ukrainian pilots participated in the training under the guidance of Royal Air Force instructors in the U.K. in March 2024. (Royal Air Force/X)
The first 10 Ukrainian pilots graduated from the flight school under the guidance of Royal Air Force (RAF) instructors, the U.K. Defense Ministry's press service reported on March 22.
The U.K. has been supporting the fighter jet coalitionsince it was established by 11 founding nations in July 2023 at the Vilnius NATO summit to assist Ukraine on its path to acquiring and operating modern fighter jets.
Ukraine expects to receive the first F-16 fighter jets this summer. Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgiumpromised to deliver dozens of their U.S.-made fourth-generation jets to bolster Ukraine's Air Force.
Several countries have also made some of their F-16 jets available for training Ukrainian pilots.
According to the U.K. Defense Ministry's statement, the first cohort has completed basic training and will move to advanced flying training provided by the French Air Force before learning to fly F-16 fighter jets.
The training program for Ukrainian pilots included general aircraft handling, flying by the aircraft's instruments, low-level navigation, and advanced formation flying by experienced RAF instructors.
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The pilots also underwent English-language training to "boost interoperability with NATO air forces," as English is the standardized international flight language.
"Ukraine has been using its Air Force to devastating effect, degrading the Russian Black Sea Fleet and severely damaging its Headquarters," U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said.
"This milestone is another step forward for Ukraine's aerial capabilities – together with our allies, we are showing that we will continue to stand by Ukraine's side," Shapps added.
In February, CNN reported that the first four Ukrainian pilots are scheduled to complete U.S.-led training on F-16 fighter jets by this summer.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said that the final delivery of the first batch of Danish F-16s depends on the readiness of Ukraine's infrastructure, pilots, and support personnel, among other factors.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Dinara Khalilova
