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.
A Moldovan child takes a peek inside a booth for the European Parliament elections at a polling station, designated for Moldovan dual nationalities holding an EU country's passport, in Chisinau on June 9, 2024. (Elena Covalenco/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S., U.K., and Canada issued a joint statement on June 13, warning of Russian interference in the leadup to the Moldovan presidential election in October.
Moldova will hold both an election, in which pro-European president Maia Sandu will seek a second term, and a referendum on Moldova's accession to the EU on Oct. 20.
"We share President Sandu's strong concerns about the Kremlin's use of criminal groups to finance political activities and undermine Moldova's democratic institutions," the joint statement said.
"We commend Moldova's leaders for continuing to capably manage these threats, build resilience, and maintain peace and security, while driving forward democratic reforms and reviving the country’s economy."
The countries condemned Russia for "exacerbating societal tensions" in Moldova and using "disinformation and propaganda" to further its objectives.
"If Russia's election meddling proves unsuccessful in Moldova, there is reason to believe Moscow will work to incite protests," the statement said.
The U.S., U.K., and Canada issued the statement to warn allies "that Russian actors are carrying out a plot to influence" the results of the election, and to show the Kremlin that "its attempts to meddle and undermine democratic processes" will not be tolerated.
Tensions between Moscow and Chisinau have been mounting since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine amid fears that the war may spill into Moldova via Transnistria, an unrecognized breakaway territory that has illegally hosted Russian troops since 1991.
Days later, Moldovan President Maia Sandu approved changes to the country's treason laws, allowing some wartime treason laws to apply to peacetime, as well as extending punishments and creating a new category of laws for assisting a foreign state.
Elsa Court
