The EU plans to significantly increase tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the current duty-free deal lapses on June 6, the Financial Times reported on May 14, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
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.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) after a meeting at the Elysée Palace in Paris, France, on Dec. 7, 2024. (Mathilde Kaczkowski /Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky share the blame for the Ukraine-Russia war in an interview segment with Fox News released on Jan. 23.
The U.S. president, who most recently met Zelensky in Paris in December, criticized his Ukrainian counterpart for resisting Russia at the start of the invasion instead of cutting a deal.
"Zelensky... shouldn’t have allowed this to happen either. He’s no angel," Trump said.
"I could have made that deal so easily, and Zelensky decided that 'I want to fight,'" he commented, adding that Ukraine has been fighting against a "much bigger entity."
At the same time, Trump acknowledged Ukraine’s bravery in resisting Russia and said that the Ukrainian president has "had enough" and is ready for peace.
"We started pouring equipment... and they (Ukraine) had the bravery to use the equipment, but in the end, it’s a war that has to be settled," Trump said.
Already during his electoral campaign, Trumpimplied that his predecessor, former U.S. President Joe Biden, and Zelensky share blame for Russia’s ongoing invasion and pledged to broker a swift peace deal.
Trump has been often critical of the Biden administration’s support for Ukraine and boasted about good relations with Putin, sparking concerns he might broker a deal unfavorable to Kyiv. Recently, the U.S. president has adopted a more critical stance toward Moscow, criticizing Putin for reluctance to cut a deal and threatening with economic repercussions if he fails to do so.
"Putin shouldn’t have done it (launching the full-scale invasion)... and it has to stop," Trump said, claiming that Russia had lost around 850,000 soldiers while Ukraine lost 700,000.
Zelensky put Ukraine’s casualty rates at 43,000 killed and 370,000 wounded as of December, while Moscow does not reveal its losses.
In the interview, Trump reiterated his warnings that if Russia does not agree to negotiate, the U.S. is going to impose "massive tariffs and massive taxes, and... big sanctions," adding he "doesn’t want to do it" because he "loves" Russia.
The U.S. president echoed his earlier claims that the full-scale invasion would have never started if he were in office at the time, blaming the Biden administration for supposedly provoking Putin and allowing him to profit from high energy prices.
Trump also lashed out against the former president for not pressuring European countries to donate more support to Ukraine, falsely claiming that Washington spent "$200 billion more than Europe" in support of Kyiv.
The U.S. Congress has allocated over $170 billion to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, which included the provision of over $60 billion worth of military support. The EU and its member countries have made available $145 billion in financial, military, and humanitarian assistance during the full-scale war.
Ukraine recently announced that arrangements for a meeting between Trump and Zelensky are underway, while the U.S. president also said he aims to meet Putin in the coming days to discuss an end to the war.
Moscow welcomed Trump’s proposal for a meeting but voiced skepticism about a possible peace deal, saying it has to first understand what the U.S.’s goals are before entering into any negotiations.
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.
Elsa Court
