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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky during his evening address on March 10, 2024. (President's Office)
Ukraine may sign bilateral agreements with several states in the near future, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20 in an interview with Brazilian journalists in Kyiv.
Ukraine is seeking to sign bilateral security agreements with as many of its Western allies as possible as it fights Russia's full-scale invasion.
The agreements are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) last July, which aims to bolster Ukraine's ability to resist Russian aggression. So far, nine have been signed with Latvia, Finland, the U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Zelensky said Ukraine is moving towards "an important agreement with the U.S.," adding that the agreement could happen after Congress passes a $61 aid bill for Ukraine that awaits an upcoming vote on April 20.
"I want people to understand that these (bilateral agreements) is not only about military assistance," Zelensky said.
"This is also about humanitarian aid, reconstruction, the financial and energy sectors' support."
Zelensky stressed that Ukraine will sign more bilateral security agreements "soon." According to the president, Kyiv could sign an agreement with "one of the Baltic states" in April.
"We might have powerful agreements in May. I think in May and June, we will approach the agreements not only with the U.S. but also with Nordic countries," Zelensky said, referring to Sweden and Norway.
The Presidential Office announced on April 18 that Ukraine and Czechia had begun negotiations on a draft bilateral security agreement.
Earlier, Kyiv said that the Portuguese and Ukrainian governments had "assigned teams" to begin the preparation of such an agreement as well.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Sonya Bandouil
