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.
Two attendees hug each other at the memorial area for commemorating Ukrainian and foreign fighters on "Defenders Day", at the Independence Square in Kyiv, on Oct. 1, 2024. (Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 502 soldiers who died fighting against Russia, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported on Nov. 29.
The Geneva Conventions stipulate that those who lose their lives during war are entitled to a dignified burial. As of early March, Ukraine has identified more than 2,800 bodies and body fragments of fallen soldiers, according to Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets.
The bodies of 397 soldiers were recovered from Donetsk Oblast, while 64 were brought back from Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and 24 from Luhansk Oblast. Another 17 bodies were repatriated from morgues in Russia.
"Law enforcement officials and forensic experts will identify those killed," the headquarters wrote in a post on Telegram.
The operation to recover the fallen soldiers involved several government and military agencies, including the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Interior Ministry, the State Emergency Service, and the Armed Forces.
The headquarters also thanked the International Committee of the Red Cross for its assistance.
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.
Chris York
