A Russian delegation will await its Ukrainian counterparts to begin direct peace talks at 10 a.m. local time in Istanbul on May 16, Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's delegation lead and advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on May 15 denied reports that the United States opposes President Volodymyr Zelensky's participation at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
Key developments on May 15: * Zelensky sends Ukrainian delegation to Istanbul, as peace talks with Russia are expected on May 16 * Trump expects no progress in Russia-Ukraine peace talks until he meets Putin * Pro-Ukraine partisans sabotage railway track near Russia's Smolensk * Ukraine shows its latest 'ship-killer' Magura drone series to
Istanbul — it’s where Asia meets Europe, but as we now know, not where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio said that meaningful progress would likely only come through a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"What's happened today is further evidence that it's Putin who is dragging his feet," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
The country confirmed in July 2024 that it would donate several of the U.S.-made aircraft as part of Western efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.
The United States is proposing to revive the NATO-Russia Council as part of a broader American plan to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on May 15, citing unnamed sources.
"Out of respect for President Trump, the high level of the Turkish delegation, and President Erdogan, and since we want to try to achieve at least the first steps toward de-escalation, an end to the war – namely a ceasefire – I have decided to send our delegation to Istanbul," Zelensky said.
The extension of the current defense plan, initially set for 2021–2025, was confirmed by the Kremlin, though specific details remain classified.
Editor’s note: This is issue 25 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from May 5–May 11, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks
The Ukrainian delegation present in the Vatican included the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election.
"Not the first time the Russian Foreign Ministry becomes a laughing stock," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said after his Russian counterpart, Maria Zakharova, called Zelensky a "clown."
"Nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together," U.S. President Donald Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One before landing in Dubai as part of his Middle Eastern tour.
Among those arriving in Turkey with Ukraine's president are Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Chief Vasyl Malyuk, and General Staff Chief Andrii Hnatov.
Moscow's goal in the expected peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is achieving "sustainable peace" by addressing the "root causes of the conflict" rather than a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 15.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began in Ankara on May 15, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported.
The Magura drones, as well as the Sea Baby drones of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), were pivotal in turning the tide of the war in the Black Sea, destroying or damaging Russian ships and other assets.
"We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own," Zelensky said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not visit Istanbul for a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 15, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to send junior aides for peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is like a "slap in the face," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on May 15.
When asked by the Kyiv Independent, a source close to the Presidential Office did not confirm whether Ukraine would still hold the talks if Putin does not join.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he might still go to the potential Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 if there is progress toward a deal, the BBC reported.
Ukrainian forces downed 62 out of the 100 Shahed-type attack drones and other drones launched by Russia overnight, the Air Force reported.
The operation was carried out in Russia's Smolensk Oblast, a western region bordering Belarus, to disrupt arms and equipment shipments to Russian forces stationed at Ukraine's northeastern border.
"I think there is this window of opportunity this week, but also in the next 10 days, two weeks, to really bring the whole issue of Ukraine to a better place," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
A plane with the Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul for planned peace talks with Ukraine, pro-state news agency Interfax reported on May 15, citing sources in aviation services.
The number includes 1,220 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Nariman Dzhelial, deputy chair of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, was released in a prisoner exchange with Russia on June 28, 2024.
Ukrainian actor and TV presenter Maksym Nelipa was killed in action on May 12, his friends and family reported on May 14. The details of his death have not been disclosed.
From January to May 10, 2025, Russian airports suspended operations 217 times — more closures than in 2023 and 2024 combined.
European and U.S. officials, including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly convinced Zelensky that attending the peace talks would reflect positively on Kyiv, diplomats told the Washington Post.
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