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.
During reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector, Special Operations Forces' operators detected Buk-M3 and Uragan-1 on combat duty, the unit said.
Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak duing an online adress to the the Copenhagen Democracy Summit in Denmark on May 13, 2025. (Andriy Yermak/Telegram)
Russian President Vladimir Putin's potential refusal to attend peace talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul would be the "last signal" that Russia is not willing to end the war in Ukraine, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak said on May 13.
Zelensky invited Putin to meet in Turkey on May 15 to launch the first direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022, though the Kremlin has not revealed whether the Russian leader would attend.
"Up until now, we have not received an answer or confirmation that President Putin will be in Turkey. But President Zelensky of Ukraine is ready and will go," Yermak said in a keynote discussion at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, in comments reported by Politico.
Yermak said Ukraine is "ready to discuss anything," but "only if a ceasefire is achieved."
"We're ready to discuss any options that are on the table. There are many interesting and very strong options. The strongest guarantee is Ukraine's prepared and trained military force, and our partners exactly understand what we need to prevent such a terrible war from happening again," he said.
Yermak added that if Putin does not come to Turkey, it will be "the last signal" that Russia "does not want to end the war and is not ready for any negotiations."
Ukraine and its European allies have urged an unconditional ceasefire starting on May 12 as the first step toward peace. Russia has ignored this proposal, continuing its attacks on Ukraine.
Asked by the Kyiv Independent whether Zelensky plans to make the trip even if Russia does not support the truce or if Putin declines to attend, a source close to the president said, "We are ready for all options. But of course, we are separately waiting for a response on the ceasefire."
The last face-to-face meeting between Putin and Zelensky took place in 2019 in Paris during a Normandy Format summit. Since then, there have been no direct in-person meetings between the two leaders.
Ukraine and Russia have not held direct peace talks since the unsuccessful negotiations in Istanbul in 2022.
Chris York,
