Key events on day 1,174 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Here’s the latest on Tuesday, May 13:
Ceasefire
- Moscow has not confirmed whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Istanbul on Thursday, as suggested by Kyiv. The two leaders have not met since December 2019.
- US President Donald Trump mentioned he is considering visiting Istanbul to join the proposed talks between Putin and Zelenskyy. He stated, “I’m mulling over possibly flying over there. There’s a chance, if I deem it productive. Don’t underestimate Thursday in Turkey.”
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a conference call with Ukrainian and European authorities on Monday to discuss moving forward with a ceasefire.
- Reports indicate that the EU may urge the White House to impose additional sanctions on Russia if Putin either doesn’t attend the Istanbul talks or rejects a call for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. According to Bloomberg, sources suggest this is the plan.
- Germany will reportedly prepare its own sanctions against Russia if talks do not progress.
Fighting
- Ukraine reports that despite the calls for a 30-day ceasefire by the US and Europe over the weekend, Russia is not heeding the request. The ceasefire was supposed to start on Monday.
- Zelenskyy stated in his nightly address, “Russian shelling and attacks continue. Moscow has yet to acknowledge the proposal for a direct meeting. Quite an unusual silence.”
- Ukraine’s military reported 133 skirmishes with Russian forces as of Monday night along the front lines.
- The Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s western Kursk region remain the most active battlefronts, with the intensity of fighting unchanged since the proposed start of the ceasefire.
- Russia deems the 30-day ceasefire as a ploy by Europe to give Kyiv time to replenish its military resources and keep the conflict with Russia ongoing.
