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.
Ukrainian artillerymen from the 24th brigade load an ammunition inside of a 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer at a position along the front line in the vicinity of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast on Dec. 10, 2022. (Photo by Ihor Tkachov/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia is firing shells at a ratio of around 10:1 to those of Ukraine and has 30 times more aircraft, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with PBS NewsHour published on April 16.
Ukraine faces an ongoing ammunition shortage, with the country being in dire need of shells and missiles.
Delays in U.S. assistance to Ukraine have already had a direct impact on the battlefield, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka. Amid the escalating situation on the eastern front, Zelensky said that "Ukraine will lose the war" if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid.
As Moscow intensified its attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure during the spring, the shortage of air defense systems in Ukrainian cities and villages is being felt more acutely.
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War Notes
Zelensky reiterated that without U.S. help, Ukraine "would have no chance of winning" in the war.
"You have to be much stronger than your enemy, that's what I am talking about. Today, (a ratio of) artillery shells is 1 to 10. Can we stand with this? No, we cannot. (Ratio of) aircraft is 1 to 30. How can we fight?" the president said.
"We do not ask for any special weapons. No one asks for 500 or 300 planes. By the way, Russia uses 300 planes only on Ukraine's territory,"Zelensky added.
Kyiv needs to catch up with Russia in the number of shells, reaching a ratio of 10:10 to fully protect the territory currently controlled by Ukraine, according to Zelensky.
Moscow was firing shells at a ratio of around 7:1 to those of Ukraine, Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk said in mid-March
Russia is producing close to 250,000 artillery munitions monthly, or around 3 million per year, which is nearly three times as many artillery munitions as the U.S. and Europe can send to Ukraine, CNN reported in March, citing NATO intelligence estimates and unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
