"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 captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Russia's Buryatia Republic declared a state of emergency on May 13 over massive forest fires that have engulfed multiple regions in the Russian Far East.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko's statement came as Strong Shield 5 exercises involving military personnel from other NATO countries began in Lithuania.
"Amendments to the Budget Code are needed to implement the provisions on funding the U.S.-Ukrainian Reconstruction Investment Fund," lawmaker Roksolana Pidlasa said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) at the Crimean Platform summit on Aug. 23, 2023. (Source: Presidential Office)
Ukraine has a clear vision on how to restore democratic life in Crimea upon its liberation from Russian occupation, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address at the Crimean Platform on Aug. 23.
"Whenever Russia gets involved, violence becomes the norm. We will ensure the rule of law," Zelensky said.
"Throughout the history of Crimea, its ports and roads have been connected to Ukraine and the whole world. Russia has caused the isolation of Crimea. We will return the whole world to Crimea."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stressed that the ongoing occupation of Crimea is a crime that must be and will eventually be punished: "A crime is a crime, no matter how much time has passed."
Zelensky said that Ukraine took the first steps in making the peninsula once again part of the global economy.
Companies like Ryanair and Royal Haskoning have reportedly announced their readiness to invest, and the restoration of Crimea "is supported by the World Tourism Organization and the World Council for Travel and Tourism, representing more than 200 companies," Zelensky noted.
Kyiv is hosting the third summit of the Crimean Platform, an international consultation and coordination format aimed at ensuring the liberation of the peninsula from the Russian occupation.
Since its inaugural summit on Aug. 23, 2021, it has gathered participants from dozens of countries in Europe, North America, Asia, and elsewhere, as well as non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, including the EU.
According to Kuleba, this year's event has been joined by representatives of up to 67 countries and organizations, attending in person or via video calls. World leaders attending the summit have reaffirmed their commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, including the occupied peninsula.
"The sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine are unquestionable," said Hungarian President Katalin Novak, whose homeland has been at odds with Kyiv over Budapest's amicable stance toward Russia.
"The liberation of Crimea and restoration of Ukraine's full territorial integrity are necessary preconditions not just for the security of the Azov and Black Sea regions, but also for the stability of the global security architecture," Polish President Andrzej Duda said.
As Ukrainian forces continue their efforts to retake occupied territories, Zelensky said that the main goal of the Crimean Platform is the liberation of the peninsula, hinting at a military pathway.
"We understand how we will return to Crimea... In the year that has passed since the previous meeting on the Crimea Platform, Ukrainian soldiers have done extraordinary things," the president said during the forum.
"Ukraine has shown that the liberation of our land during military operations is not an accident."
In recent weeks, there have been a number of reports of strikes and explosions occurring on the occupied peninsula, with Ukraine claiming responsibility for some of the incidents. Kyiv officials have repeatedly said that the goal of Ukraine's military efforts is the liberation of the entire country, including Crimea.
Russia has been occupying the peninsula since 2014 after the Euromaidan Revolution ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
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.
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