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.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference at the State Department on Aug. 15, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Nearly 50 countries joined the United States in condemning North Korea's alleged transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia, calling for an immediate end to the delivery of weapons, the U.S. State Department wrote in joint statement on Jan 9.
"Our governments stand together in resolute opposition to arms transfers between the DPRK and Russia," read the joint statement, using the initials of North Korea's official name. "The transfer of ballistic missiles, along with any other arms and related materiel, from the DPRK to Russia flagrantly violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions."
The joint declaration from the 48 western countries and the European Union, comes as U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that Russia had fired more such weapons at Ukraine, including one that landed in Kharkiv on Jan. 6.
U.S. officials have previously warned that North Korea has provided Russia with launchers and several dozen ballistic missiles, with North Korean weaponry having allegedly been used to target Ukrainian civilians.
On Dec. 30, Russian forces allegedly launched at least one of the North Korean-supplied missiles into Ukraine with the missiles landing in an open field in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, while on Jan. 2 Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles to strike Ukraine as part of its overnight mass attack that killed five people and injured 130 more.
Western allies fear Russia will transfer advanced technology and weaponry to North Korea in exchange for arming Russia as it continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In September 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Russia's far-eastern Amur Oblast to formalize an alleged agreement to help North Korea "launch its own satellites and rockets."
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
