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.
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.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
The suspect quit his job at the Rivne NPP before the full-scale war began. In the spring of 2025, a GRU liaison contacted him and offered cooperation in exchange for money.
President Volodymyr Zelensky would not meet any other Russian official apart from Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul this week, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said on the Breakfast Show program on May 13.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius talks to the media during the seventh gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein air base on March 19, 2024, in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany. (Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
The German government is still discussing a proposed 3 billion euros ($3.09 billion) aid package for Ukraine, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Jan. 14, according to Ukrinform.
Pistorius, who made an unannounced visit to Kyiv, met with Ukrainian officials to discuss defense industry cooperation, including boosting joint ventures and direct procurement of Ukrainian defense production with European funds.
"We have prepared everything we need, but we are still in the process of negotiations within the government because there is still the issue of funds that are not yet available because there is still no budget," Pistorius said.
Pistorius assured that Germany’s support for Ukraine would remain "reliable, unwavering, committed, and energetic" regardless of the outcome of Germany’s Feb. 23 elections.
On Jan. 9, Der Spiegel reported that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz blocked an additional military aid package, allegedly arguing that the 4 billion euros ($4.1 billion) already allocated for 2025, along with funds from a $50 billion G7 loan financed by frozen Russian assets, should suffice. Pistorius denied the report, stating that no final decision on the funding had been made.
Germany, under Scholz’s leadership, has become Ukraine’s second-largest military donor after the U.S., though Scholz has faced criticism for his cautious stance on key issues, including his refusal to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
