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.
People walk along an alley of graves of Ukrainian soldiers at Lukianivskyi cemetery in Kyiv, Ukraine on Oct. 28, 2023. (Valentyna Polishchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine retrieved the bodies of 94 fallen Ukrainian soldiers from Russian-occupied territories on Nov. 20, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported.
In exchange, Ukraine transferred the remains of an undisclosed number of Russian soldiers killed in combat to the Russian side, the headquarters said.
The bodies of Ukrainian soldiers will be transported to specialized state institutions for forensic examination and identification. Afterward, they will be handed over to their relatives for the funeral.
The Geneva Conventions dictate that people who lost their lives during war are entitled to a dignified burial.
The bodies of around 2,000 soldiers have been repatriated to Ukraine in the last two years, according to the Headquarters. In the previous transfer on Oct. 27, Ukraine managed to retrieve the bodies of 50 fallen defenders.
Ukraine has not disclosed how many soldiers were killed in Russia’s full-scale invasion. Former Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said in July last year that this information would remain secret until the end of martial law.
“This is information that the enemy should not know because military specialists can draw many conclusions from this data and use it for analysis and planning,” Maliar said on Facebook.
Asami Terajima
