Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send junior aides for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is like a "slap in the face," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
When asked by the Kyiv Independent, a source close to the Presidential Office did not confirm whether Ukraine would still hold the talks if Putin does not join.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he might still go to the potential Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 if there is progress toward a deal, the BBC reported.
Ukrainian forces downed 62 out of the 100 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
The operation was carried out in Russia's Smolensk Oblast, a western region bordering Belarus, to disrupt arms and equipment shipments to Russian forces stationed at Ukraine's northeastern border.
"I think there is this window of opportunity this week, but also in the next 10 days, two weeks, to really bring the whole issue of Ukraine to a better place," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
A plane with the Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul for planned peace talks with Ukraine, pro-state news agency Interfax reported on May 15, citing sources in aviation services.
The number includes 1,220 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Nariman Dzhelial, deputy chair of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, was released in a prisoner exchange with Russia on June 28, 2024.
Ukrainian actor and TV presenter Maksym Nelipa was killed in action on May 12, his friends and family reported on May 14. The details of his death have not been disclosed.
From January to May 10, 2025, Russian airports suspended operations 217 times — more closures than in 2023 and 2024 combined.
European and U.S. officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly convinced Zelensky that attending the peace talks would reflect positively on Kyiv, diplomats told the Washington Post.
"We discussed in detail the logic of further steps and shared our approaches... It is critical that Russia reciprocate Ukraine's constructive steps. So far, it has not. Moscow must understand that rejecting peace comes at a cost," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.
U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend Ukraine-Russia peace talks to be held on May 15, an unnamed U.S. official said.
The Kremlin unveiled its delegation for Ukraine-Russia peace talks in a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 14. Putin was not on the list of delegates, nor were any other top-ranking Russian officials.
"I am waiting to see who will come from Russia, and then I will decide which steps Ukraine should take. So far, the signals from them in the media are unconvincing," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Key developments on May 14: * Trump says he's unsure whether Putin will attend Ukraine peace talks in Turkey as Kremlin stays silent * Russia likely preparing major offensive in Ukraine despite peace efforts, FT reports * Trump needs to understand that Putin lies, blocks peace efforts, Zelensky says * EU agrees on 17th
Editor's Note: This article contains graphic descriptions. Soldiers interviewed for this article are identified by their callsigns only due to security reasons. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, shocking the world, thousands of foreigners flocked to defend Ukraine – many with little to no connection with the country. More
Ukraine faces a difficult balancing act — sanction more Chinese firms for aiding Russia’s war machine without alienating Beijing, which could be key to ending Russia’s invasion. Kyiv is currently considering imposing new sanctions against Chinese firms providing raw materials to Russia’s defense sector, a source close to
Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
The air raid was announced at around 2:30 p.m. local time, while the explosion sounded around 2:50 p.m. The number of victims killed rose to three, Sumy Oblast Governor Oleh Hryhorov reported at 8:42 p.m.
Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
Two of the suspects were reportedly detained over the weekend, and the third on May 13, during police raids in Germany and Switzerland.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
This marks Zelensky's highest trust rating recorded by KIIS since December 2023, when he enjoyed the confidence of 77% of respondents.
The European Union’s 17th package of sanctions against Russia, agreed on May 14, is being hailed in Brussels as a symbol of steady resolve. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the move, insisting it would "keep the pressure high on the Kremlin." But outside the EU bubble,
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
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