Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff speaks during a Bloomberg Television interview outside the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 19, 2025. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 25, Axiosreported on April 23, citing an unnamed U.S. official.
The visit comes as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to broker a ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine. Washington has warned it may withdraw from the mediation process if no progress is made in the coming days.
Witkoff's trip follows a summit in Paris on April 17, where senior Trump administration officials presented a draft peace proposal to Ukrainian and European counterparts.
The plan reportedly includes recognition of Russia's illegal 2014 annexation of Crimea and barring Ukraine from joining NATO — two long-standing demands by the Kremlin.
Ukraine's response to the proposal was expected during follow-up meetings in London with European, Ukrainian, and American officials on April 23, but U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Witkoff declined to attend, downgrading the talks.
According to Reuters, Rubio's decision not to participate in the meetings came after Ukraine delivered a document to European partners on April 22 declaring that Kyiv would not negotiate territorial issues until "a full and unconditional ceasefire" had been achieved.
Witkoff, who serves as the Trump administration's Middle East envoy, has visited Russia several times this year and met with Putin on at least three occasions.
The envoy has drawn criticism from both U.S. and Ukrainian officials for promoting Kremlin-aligned positions, including the idea of trading Ukrainian territory for peace.
Speaking on April 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine would not entertain any proposal that concedes sovereign territory. "This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied that Ukraine is being pressured to recognize Crimea as Russian. "Nobody is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory," he posted on Truth Social on April 23.
The U.S. president also went on to dismiss Zelensky's firm rejection of any recognition of Russia's control over Crimea as "harmful to the peace negotiations."
Despite Trump's repeated claims of progress, Russia has rejected a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and continues offensive operations. Putin declared a symbolic one-day Easter truce on April 19, which Ukraine reported was violated around 3,000 times.
Kyiv has separately proposed a 30-day truce focused on halting long-range drone and missile strikes on civilian infrastructure, which the Kremlin has said it will "look into."
While expressing frustration with Russia's refusal to de-escalate, the U.S. president has yet to impose new sanctions or take punitive measures in response to Moscow's ongoing invasion.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
