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.
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.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko looks on during a visit of Valaam Monastery with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, in northern Russia on July 25, 2024. (Alexander Kazakov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has stated that he may completely shut down the internet during the 2025 presidential elections if protests similar to those in 2020 arise, state-run news outlet Belta reported on Nov. 22.
"If this (the protests) happens again, we will shut the internet down completely," Lukashenko said, admitting that internet shutdowns during the 2020 protests were carried out with his approval.
Speaking at Minsk State Linguistic University, he justified the 2020 internet blackout by claiming it was necessary to protect the country’s stability, as protests were allegedly organized online, particularly from abroad.
Lukashenko also denied allegations of violence against demonstrators, asserting, "No one was holding down or beating anyone," despite widespread reports of police brutality during the 2020 protests.
Lukashenko, the country's leader since 1994 and Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally, has long been accused of staging fraudulent elections in Belarus.
In 2020, during the last presidential election, Lukashenko maintained power despite the country's most prominent opposition leader, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, receiving popular support — claiming she won with 60 percent of the vote.
Following the fabricated results, mass protest erupted in Minsk but were ultimately quelled with the support of Russia. According to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna, over 50,000 citizens have been detained for political reasons since the 2020 election.
His remarks come as Belarus approaches its next presidential election, amid ongoing international scrutiny of his 30-year rule and the repression of dissent.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Maria Yeryoma
