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. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden (not seen) host the White House Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington DC, United States, on June 04, 2024. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Biden administration is leading "urgent discussions" with U.S. Congress to save around $6 billion in assistance for Ukraine before it expires on Sept. 30 deadline, Reuters reported on Sept. 5, citing undisclosed sources.
Razom for Ukraine, a U.S.-based non-profit advocating for international support for the embattled country, pointed out in late August that $6.2 billion in the presidential drawdown authority (PDA) will expire by the end of the month – which marks the end of the fiscal year – without immediate action.
"If the current pace of draw-downs continues until Sept. 30, approximately $5.7 billion will expire unused," Razom said.
The PDA is one of the key tools for delivering some $61 billion in aid approved by Congress in April. It allows the U.S. president to transfer defense supplies from existing military stocks in response to emergencies.
Washington has greenlighted a number of packages under the PDA since April, most recently a $125 million tranche on Aug. 23. But the vast majority of the $7.8 billion allocated for the PDA remains unused.
According to Reuters' sources, the U.S. State Department hopes to push forward a short-term emergency spending bill that Congress has to approve this month to avoid a government shutdown and to prevent the PDA assistance from expiring.
Congressional aides voiced confidence in a comment to Reuters that "there would be a solution."
President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly said that while Ukraine is grateful for the approved aid packages, the material assistance is trickling down too slowly.
Reuters' sources said that a possible reason for the slow pace is worries in the Pentagon that their own stocks are being depleted too fast as the arms industry struggles with supply chain problems.
Ukraine's head of state is scheduled to visit the U.S. this month to present the country's leadership with a yet fully undisclosed "victory plan" and to lobby for more support.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
