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.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky walks with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv on Jan. 12, 2024. (Stefan Rousseau/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The United Kingdom will increase its humanitarian funding to Ukraine by 8.5 million pounds ($10.8 million), the U.K. announced on Feb. 24.
Six million pounds will be allocated to the Red Cross Movement, and 2.5 million to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, part of the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The announcement was made on the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The U.K. is one of Ukraine's largest humanitarian donors and has committed to providing 357 million pounds in humanitarian aid since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022, according to the announcement.
"Ukrainians are bravely defending their land against Russia’s brutal invasion, but the past two years of war have had a tragic impact on millions of people across Ukraine. Families have been separated, towns and villages decimated, and vital civilian infrastructure destroyed," said U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron in a written statement.
"The UK stands with Ukraine, and is committed to supporting the most vulnerable Ukrainians living through the horrors of this war," he said.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
