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.
Chairman of the Management Board of NPC Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, speaks to journalists about damage to Ukraines electricity supply in Kyiv on Nov. 10, 2022. (Ed Ram/Getty Images)
The head of Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, was dismissed from his role on Sept. 2 on grounds of failing to safeguard energy facilities amid intensified Russian attacks, public broadcaster Suspilne reported, citing sources within the company.
Ukrenergo's Supervisory Board voted four to two to dismiss Kudrytskyi, Ukrainian media reported. The company subsequently appointed sitting board member Oleksiy Brekht as the interim head of Ukrenergo.
The dismissal comes after days of speculation over Kudrytskyi's future at the company.
Economic Pravda reported on Aug. 30, citing unnamed government sources and energy company contacts, that Kudrytskyi would face dismissal "in the near future" amid energy security concerns, as well as a corruption probe.
"Kudrytskyi is accused of improperly implementing previous decisions of the headquarters of the supreme commander-in-chief and poor protection of Ukrenergo facilities," the source told the media outlet.
The report follows a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian officials, where they discussed the energy situation, including the recent Russian attack and the construction of defense facilities.
Kudrytskyi is also facing a pre-trial investigation ordered by the High Anti-Corruption Court last month, related to alleged corruption.
Neither Ukrenergo, government officials, nor Kudrytskyi have commented on the dismissal.
Ahead of Ukrenergo's decision, Western organizations operating in Ukraine, including the European Union, sent a letter to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal expressing concern over the upcoming dismissal.
"Such an event could jeopardize our collective ability to support Ukrenergo and other priority measures of Ukraine's vital energy security," the letter stated.
Russia has repeatedly used mass attacks against Ukraine's energy grid to break the country's ability and resolve to fight off the invasion, first during the autumn-winter period of 2022-2023 and then again in the spring of 2024.
After a relative lull over the summer that gave Ukraine a chance to restore some of its capacity, Russia launched fresh attacks in the past few days, again necessitating restrictions on energy consumption.
The largest-ever aerial strike against Ukraine took place on Aug. 26 with Russia firing over 230 missiles and drones and yet again targeting energy infrastructure.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Kateryna Denisova
