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.
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris debate on Sept. 10, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Russia, Iran, and China pose the most significant threats to critical infrastructure and democratic institutions in the United States, particularly the upcoming presidential election, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a report published Oct. 2.
The report comes a month after the U.S. announced a sweeping crackdown on Russian propaganda outlets due to alleged election interference.
Hostile foreign actors may use an array of tactics to undermine electoral operations, including using generative AI to create authentic-seeming text and video to spread disinformation, the DHS report said.
"Russia seeks to shape electoral outcomes, undermine electoral integrity, and amplify domestic divisions, while using a variety of approaches to bolster its messaging and lend an air of authenticity to its efforts," the report said.
"Iran, meanwhile, perceives this year's elections as particularly consequential for its own national security interests."
DHS warned that Russia, Iran, and China have "increasingly used generative AI to create more believable text, inauthentic synthetic audio, and video that may enhance their ability to reach U.S. audiences while hiding their origins."
The U.S. is one month away from the presidential election, which sees former President Donald Trump facing Vice President Kamala Harris. The campaign has been fraught with turmoil, including assassination attempts, the withdrawal of President Joe Biden, and allegations of foreign interference.
Iranian operatives have been indicted for allegedly hacking emails connected to Trump's campaign. The DHS report said that U.S. intelligence "is confident" that Iran has attempted to access individuals tied to both parties' campaigns.
The U.S. on Sept. 4 also sanctioned high-profile propagandists including RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan and seized 32 internet domains linked to Kremlin propaganda campaigns, alleging that the outlets attempted to interfere in the upcoming election.
Russia has previously been accused of using social media disinformation, bot farms, and other means to back Donald Trump against his Democratic opponents – Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden – during the 2016and 2020 elections.
Iran and China have remained Russia's key military and economic allies since the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Alisa Yurchenko
