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 participants dressed in a costume in front of the Cabinet of Ministers during a march to legalize cannabis on Oct. 9, 2023, in Kyiv. (Pavlo Gonchar/Sopa Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ukraine's parliament voted for a draft law to legalize medical cannabis, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Dec. 21.
The measure was supported by 248 lawmakers.
The draft law was first passed in July 2023, and proposed to license the economic activity of cultivating hemp for medical, industrial, and scientific purposes. It aims to help Ukrainian war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), people with cancer, and other serious illnesses to get pain relief and reduce other symptoms.
It will need to be signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has previously voiced support of the proposal, in order to become law.
Ukraine's Health Ministry welcomed the passage, saying that it was a "historic decision," adding that the law had been significantly revised since the first draft was passed.
If the law comes into force, the distribution of cannabis for recreational purposes would still be prohibited, and only people with a prescription from the doctor would be able to buy it legally.
The sale and distribution of medical cannabis would be strictly controlled by the government.
"We must finally honestly legalize cannabis-based medicines, relevant scientific research, and controlled Ukrainian production for everyone who needs it," Zelensky said in June.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
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