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.
US President Donald Trump speaks during the Saudi-US investment forum at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center in Riyadh on May 13, 2025. (Fayez Nureldine / AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on May 13 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials will attend planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey on May 15
The announcement comes as international attention centers on Istanbul, after Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed hosting direct talks there between Kyiv and Moscow.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he will attend but the Kremlin has so far stayed quiet about the possibility of Putin attending.
"Our people are going to be going there. Marco is going to be going there. Others are going to be going, and we'll see if we can get it done," Trump said during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Trump's envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, would travel to Istanbul to observe the negotiations. Rubio's participation marks the first public confirmation of Cabinet-level U.S. involvement.
Witkoff has held several meetings with Putin in Moscow and came under criticism for pushing Russian talking points on Ukraine and the war. Kellogg has been more closely engaged with Ukrainian officials, even publicly supporting Kyiv's call for an unconditional ceasefire.
Zelensky said he will meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are willing to fly to Istanbul if Putin agrees to attend the talks there.
"We will be waiting to meet with Putin in Turkey. So that Russia does not manipulate cities and say that Putin is not ready to fly to Ankara, but is ready to fly only to Istanbul," Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on May 13.
The Kremlin has acknowledged preparations for the talks but has not confirmed whether Putin will personally attend. Trump, who is currently on a four-day tour of the Middle East, suggested he might join the summit.
"I've also been working relentlessly to end the terrible bloodshed between Russia and Ukraine, and, very importantly, talks are being held in Turkey later this week... and they could produce some pretty good results," Trump said.
A senior U.S. official told CNN that Trump's attendance would "largely depend" on Putin's presence. Zelensky said Trump had been formally invited, adding that his participation "would have an additional impetus for Putin to come."
The last and only face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Putin occurred in December 2019 in Paris under the Normandy Format.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
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