Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
Ukrainian soldiers prepare to launch a drone on June 28, 2024, in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces launched more drones in July than Russian troops, President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed in his evening address on Aug. 6.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing warfare. For outnumbered Ukrainian forces, drones have been one of the key weapons to strike Russian warships, naval bases, oil refineries, and airfields inside occupied territories and deep behind Russia's lines.
"In terms of this, Ukraine's Defense and Security Forces are already gaining an advantage, and in July our soldiers used more drones than the occupier. This should be a steady trend on the front line — for all types of drones that our units have," Zelensky said.
According to the president, by becoming a leader in drone development, Kyiv could be "a security provider for other states."
One million drones have been contracted for Ukrainian manufacturers through 2024, he said.
"We do not disclose all the details now, but our capacity to produce drones is constantly growing, and we are working not only with state funding, but also with partners to invest in our drone production," Zelensky added.
Kyiv has the production capacity to produce more than three million drones a year but requires financing from foreign partners, Deputy Strategic Industries Minister Hanna Hvozdiar said.
In the first half of 2024, Ukrainian soldiers received six times more drones than last year, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Vadym Sukharevskyi said in July.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
