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 Defense Lloyd Austin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting on September 6, 2024 at the US air base in Ramstein, southwestern Germany. (Photo by Daniel ROLAND / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL ROLAND/AFP via Getty Images)
The United States pledged a new package of weapons, ammunition and other defense aid for Ukraine worth $250 million, the Pentagon announced on Sept. 6.
The package is being provided to Kyiv under the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), which takes military equipment from existing U.S. military stockpiles, meaning that potential procurement-related delays will be limited.
This tranche includes RIM-7 missiles and support for air defense, Stinger missiles, 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds, Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles, as well as Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems.
Washington also pledged to provide Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, ammunition for HIMARS, M113 armored personnel carriers, and other military assistance.
The announcement of the new aid package comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky is attending the Ukraine Contact Defense Group meeting held in Germany in person to lobby for faster aid deliveries, namely air defense and long-range arms.
The new tranche was revealed amid worries that roughly $6 billion in the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), the chief tool for supplying defense articles to Kyiv, may expire by the end of the month.
Reuters reported that the Biden administration is leading urgent talks with U.S. Congress to save the funds before the looming deadline.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Owen Racer
