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. Senator Mark Kelly speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The White House's restrictions on Kyiv's ability to strike inside Russia with American weapons are increasingly being called on to be eased and lifted.
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former finalist to be Kamala Harris's running mate, spoke with the Kyiv Independent and is the latest to say the limitations need to be reconsidered.
"Based on the conditions near the front and the territory (Ukraine is) currently slowly losing, I think it's appropriate to reevaluate this and consider allowing (Ukraine) to use our weapons deeper into Russia," Senator Kelly told the Kyiv Independent.
"To go after military targets, whether it's supply lines, supply depots, military bases, it's something we need to reconsider. We should always be reevaluating and reconsidering what our role is."
Senator Kelly, a former Navy pilot who serves on the Committee on Armed Services, expects a potential Harris administration to mostly continue President Joe Biden's Ukraine policies.
"I know the vice president very well, and you know what her position is on this in supporting Ukraine," Senator Kelly told the Kyiv Independent. "I think you'll see a very similar approach, probably not identical."
If Democratic nominee Harris is elected, Ukraine's battlefield will continue to be evaluated for opportunities to make necessary changes, Senator Kelly said.
"On one hand, we've got to be careful about escalation, and we do not want U.S. troops to be engaged with the Russians," Senator Kelly said, adding that "it's not a good outcome, we need to try to avoid that. At the same time, Ukraine needs to be able to win."
Senator Kelly, who is on the Select Committee on Intelligence, does not know if Ukraine has seen the full extent of Russia's response to the Aug. 6 incursion into Kursk Oblast. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not easily predictable, Senator Kelly said.
"It's been a challenge for him to deal with this incursion into Kursk, I think he's getting to experience some of what the Ukrainians have experienced."
Senator Kelly, who has long supported Ukraine and is increasingly in the public eye after being a finalist for Kamala Harris's running mate, hasn't always held this view. Just last month at the Democratic National Convention, Kelly was one of few speakers to raise the topic of Ukraine at the podium, but he didn't call for the lifting of restrictions when pushed by CBS News on the convention's sidelines.
"It's appropriate to continue to look at what (Ukraine's) needs are, how can we make adjustments, what new weapons systems are we going to provide to them?" Kelly told CBS News at the time.
Between his careful change in message, Senator Kelly made what he recalled as an important trip to the Baltics, where the U.S. has troops stationed as a deterrent against Russia. The death toll from Russia's strike on Poltava also rose to over 50 this week and strikes on Ukrainian youth educational facilities continued, which the Senator mentioned as particularly frustrating.
When Congress returns to Washington from a monthslong recess next week, Kelly will better understand the depth of bipartisan support for easing restrictions.
Asked by Stephen Colbert on late night television Thursday night - the question increasingly being discussed regarding Kelly - whether he would serve in a Harris administration, Kelly emphasized the importance of public service, saying he's doing all he can to get Harris elected in November.
Owen Racer is an independent journalist based in New York City. He has contributed to National Public Radio (NPR) stations including WHYY, WVXU, and WWNO. Other work from the Cincinnati, Ohio-native has appeared in KFF Health News, American City Business Journals, and various other publications. He has studied economics at the University of Cincinnati and journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism.
Owen Racer
