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.
An aerial view of the destroyed hypermarket after a Russian aerial bomb attack in Kharkiv on May 27, 2024. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Investigators found an unexploded aerial bomb near the Kharkiv hypermarket that Russia targeted on May 25, killing over a dozen civilians, Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office reported on May 27.
Russia used two aerial guided bombs to hit the busy building materials hypermarket in Kharkiv on a Saturday afternoon, killing at least 18 people and injuring 48 others.
Investigators found a third aerial bomb around 80 meters from the hypermarket as operations to recover bodies from the burned wreckage of the building continued.
Investigators also found evidence that Russia adjusted fire on the building with the help of reconnaissance drones, which demonstrates Russia is deliberately aiming to harm civilians, the Regional Prosecutor's Office said.
Among the people killed in the strike were a 12-year-old girl and her mother, and a 17-year-old boy.
Kharkiv and the surrounding oblast are particularly vulnerable to guided bomb attacks due to the close proximity to the Russian border, as the bombs are launched from aircraft in Russian airspace.
According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia launched a total of 3,200 guided bombs against Ukraine in April alone.
Dinara Khalilova
