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.
The American flag flying at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
The U.S. Commerce Department announced on Jan. 2 that it would explore how to secure the technology and supply chain of drones from foreign adversaries, including China and Russia.
The department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) said in a statement that it was seeking public consultation "to inform the potential development of a rule to secure and safeguard the information and communication technology and services (ICTS) supply chain for drones."
The agency added that the involvement of foreign adversaries in "supply chains, including acute threats from China and Russia – may offer our adversaries the ability to remotely access and manipulate these devices, exposing sensitive U.S. data."
The U.S. and China — which produces a majority of the world's drones — have a frosty relationship, exacerbated by opposing views on foreign policy, including China's stance on Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and U.S. support for Taiwan. The U.S. blacklisted 37 Chinese companies due to security concerns on May 9.
"Securing the unmanned aircraft systems technology supply chain is critical to safeguarding our national security. This (advance notice of proposed rulemaking) is an essential step in protecting the United States from vulnerabilities posed by foreign entities," U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo saidon Jan. 2.
If implemented, the proposed rule change may restrict or ban drones from countries the U.S. deems as foreign adversaries.
In March 2024 the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance to sell its stakes in the company within six months or lose access to U.S. markets.
The U.S. is increasingly becoming more watchful of its own national security amid high-profile incidents such as foreign interference in U.S. elections.
Ukraine previously announced a ban on the use of software and websites from Russia and other sanctioned countries on Aug. 16, following high-profile cyber attacks that threatened Ukraine's national security.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Olena Goncharova
