Ukraine Breaking News Today Live on 05-13-2025

The US backs NATO’s broader 5% GDP defense spending plan, supporting Rutte’s proposal to include military and security-related costs beyond weapons.

The United States on Tuesday said NATO’s new spending commitment at a summit next month should cover broader “defense-related” areas, endorsing a proposal from alliance chief Mark Rutte.  

President Donald Trump is pressuring allies to agree to a new spending target of 5% of GDP when leaders meet in June in The Hague – a level none of NATO’s 32 members currently reaches. 

Sergey Shoigu signed a contract to remain Russia’s Security Council Secretary until 2030, despite past criticism, ICC charges, and a controversial tenure as Defense Minister.

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu signed a contract to continue his military service as the Secretary of the Security Council till 2030, according to Russian state news.  

Shoigu, 69, despite having no military background, had previously served as the Russian Defense Minister from 2012 until he was replaced by economic advisor Andrey Beluosov in May 2024.  Shoigu may have been replaced due to corruption allegations and the Kremlin’s disappointment in the slow progress of the Russian Armed Forces in conquering additional territory in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  

The US president confirmed that the US State Secretary will go to Istanbul on Thursday for the planned Kyiv-Moscow talks during his Tuesday speech in Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump said State Secretary Marco Rubio will visit Istanbul on Thursday for the high-stakes Kyiv-Moscow talks. 

Citing unnamed officials, Reuters previously reported that Washington’s Russia envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg will attend the talks initiated by Moscow on Sunday. 

Earlier, China’s spokesperson said it “[supports] all efforts for peace” without explicitly addressing the West’s 30-day ceasefire proposal.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Beijing backed the West’s 30-day unconditional ceasefire proposal on Tuesday.

Kyiv, with Europe’s backing and the US’s blessing, sent a collective ultimatum to Moscow on Saturday to comply with the ceasefire starting Monday, which has been ignored by the Kremlin as of Tuesday.

Ukraine is set to contribute around $72.2 million to a US-Ukraine investment fund, but changes to the Budget Code were needed first.

The Budget Committee for Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, backed changes to the Budget Code, allowing Ukraine to contribute around Hr.3 billion ($72.2 million) to an investment fund under a new mineral deal with the US. 

Roksolana Pidlasa, head of the budget committee, reported the news on her Facebook on Tuesday, May 13. 

Ukraine charges two collaborators who allegedly operated a torture chamber for Russia in occupied Vovchansk, where civilians were beaten, electrocuted, and forced into slave labor.

Ukrainian law enforcement, in cooperation with military intelligence, has identified two potential war criminals alleged to have been involved in operating a Russian-run torture chamber in the occupied town of Vovchansk.

Vovchansk is located in the north of Kharkiv region, less than 10 kilometers (6.25 miles) from the border with Russia’s Belgorod region and 50 kilometers (31.25 miles) from the city of Kharkiv.

Ambassador Matthew Whitaker says the US will judge Putin’s commitment to a long-term ceasefire by “actions, not words,” saying “If we don’t get to the table, then there won’t be an end to this war”

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told reporters Tuesday that President Donald Trump has been frustrated with Russia – just as he was frustrated with Ukraine previously – as the US leader wants to end the killing and “the tragedy we’re seeing play out on a daily and hourly [basis],” as he put it.

Speaking to reporters on a virtual press call ahead of this week’s critical Turkey talks on Ukraine, Whitaker said that the US will “ultimately have to judge” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s commitment to a long term ceasefire “by their actions, not their words.”

Putin’s surprise call for peace talks with Ukraine is likely a strategic move, not genuine diplomacy, amid rising Western pressure and shifting global dynamics – and Zelensky knows it.

EU’s Kaja Kallas said she doubts Putin will attend Turkey peace talks with Zelensky, calling Russia unserious about peace.

The European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Tuesday she didn’t think Russian President Vladimir Putin would turn up for talks in Turkey this week with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The meeting set for Thursday in Istanbul would be the first direct negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow’s invasion in 2022.

The talks, initially proposed by Putin on Sunday as a restart of the 2022 Turkey discussions, are tentatively scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul.

Ukraine warned Tuesday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin skips upcoming peace talks in Turkey, it would show the world he is not serious about ending the war – and called on Western allies to respond with more weapons and sanctions.

The talks, initially proposed by Putin on Sunday as a restart of the 2022 Turkey discussions, are tentatively scheduled for Thursday in Istanbul. If they take place, it would be the first face-to-face negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian officials since the early months of Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Merz said he admired Zelensky’s “courage” and his willingness “to do everything he can to use an opportunity for a ceasefire and subsequent peace talks in Ukraine”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Russia on Tuesday that it would face fresh European sanctions if there was no “real progress” this week towards peace in Ukraine.

“We agree that if there is no real progress this week, we will then work together at the European level for a significant tightening of sanctions,” Merz said at a press conference with visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

US President Donald Trump has reportedly dispatched his Ukraine and Russia envoys to attend the Kyiv-Moscow talks in Turkey, initiated by Russia.

The US’s Russia envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg will reportedly attend the Kyiv-Moscow talks in Istanbul on Thursday. 

Reuters, citing “three sources familiar with the plans,” reported on Tuesday the alleged arrangements after US President Donald Trump, who traveled to the Middle East in his first major foreign tour, teased a day prior that he might attend himself. 

Russia’s deputy foreign minister said exactly that.

The West is trying to extend the war in Ukraine by calling for a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko claimed.

Grushko’s comments on Tuesday came after the West issued an ultimatum on Saturday to Moscow to comply with a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday or face more sanctions, which has been ignored by the latter.

The Russian view is that the world is ganging up on Moscow, which is being treated unfairly, the majority predicting the ceasefire won’t happen and many expecting things to get worse for Russia.

Both pro- and anti-Kremlin Russian political observers are taking the position that Moscow is being picked on unfairly by a hostile West and put the chances of an early peace in the Russo-Ukraine War close to zero.

Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected calls to implement a 30-day ceasefire as a precondition for peace talks with Ukraine, in a 1:50 a.m. statement to reporters in Moscow on Sunday. Instead, he suggested that Kyiv agree to hold talks in Istanbul on May 15 as a restart of the 2022 negotiations in Turkey. Putin read from a prepared statement and did not take questions.

Trump will address an investment forum in Riyadh and later in the week head to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, fellow oil-rich Arab monarchies with long ties to the United States.

Donald Trump enjoyed a lavish, royal welcome in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on the first state visit of his second term, with the US president foremost focused on business deals at the start of a Gulf tour.

Saudi Arabia escorted Air Force One with fighter jets before bringing out long-stretching honour guards both at the airport and a palace decked out with imposing chandeliers.

Jake Broe’s INVICTUS campaign delivers 16 more upgraded vehicles to Ukraine’s front-line troops, supporting elite units with jammers, medevac trucks, and more.

Jake Broe, a US Air Force veteran and popular online commentator, has announced the delivery of 16 more vehicles – dubbed “Broe Trucks” –as part of the ongoing INVICTUS fundraiser led by the 69th Sniffing Brigade charity fund.

“The next 16 Broe Trucks have been delivered to Ukraine from our INVICTUS fundraiser! Here is a behind-the-scenes video provided by Alex with the 69th Sniffing Brigade!” Broe posted on X.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said the suspect, a former nuclear plant employee, tried to guide Russian drones to power lines supplying electricity to the Kyiv region.

Ukraine has arrested a suspect in western Ukraine’s Rivne region for reportedly preparing to guide Russian drones towards the power lines connected to the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant.

In its Tuesday press release, the SBU said the man, whose age was unspecified, had been tasked with planting a location beacon on a high-voltage line connecting the plant with the Kyiv region to help guide Russian Shahed drones toward the infrastructure,

The airliner was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a BUK surface-to-air missile over the Donetsk region, where pro-Russian separatist rebels were battling Ukrainian forces.

The Kremlin rejected on Tuesday the “biased conclusions” of a United Nations aviation agency report, which found Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.

The airliner was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was hit by a Russian-made BUK surface to air missile over Ukraine’s eastern region of Donetsk, where pro-Russian separatist rebels were battling Ukrainian forces.

Presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said that if there is no top-level Russian participation in Istanbul, it would mean Moscow is not ready for a ceasefire or real talks.

President Volodymyr Zelensky will not meet with anyone from the Russian side in Istanbul except for Russian President Vladimir Putin, one of Zelensky’s senior advisers said Tuesday, May 13.

Speaking on The Breakfast Show, Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of Ukraine’s presidential office, said that lower-level talks would not be meaningful.

Ukraine’s new Spider ground robot can carry 100 kg (220 lbs), features electronic warfare countermeasures, and can operate for hours in rough terrain.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has officially approved the use of the domestically produced “Spider” ground robotic system in units of Ukraine’s Armed Forces (AFU).

Developed by a team of Ukrainian engineers based on real combat experience, the robot can perform various tasks depending on its configuration, the defense ministry reported.

Following Trump’s ultimatum to Moscow and Kyiv Witkoff said the US is committed to ending the war but both sides mist move toward peace, or risk losing US support.

President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to Russia and Ukraine: hold direct peace talks soon, or risk the United States stepping back from the conflict mediation, according to White House special envoy Steve Witkoff.

“The president has issued an ultimatum to both sides that without those direct talks and if they don’t occur quickly, then he believes the United States ought to step back from this conflict,” Witkoff told Breitbart News in an on-camera interview recorded on Thursday, May 8.

Despite Western calls for a ceasefire, Russia ignored the 30-day pause proposal and launched 166 attacks in 24 hours, with no sign of de-escalation on the battlefield.

Despite Western calls for a 30-day ceasefire, the Kremlin has ignored the proposal and, instead, launched 166 attacks along the front line in the past 24 hours alone, with the heaviest fighting taking place in the Pokrovsk sector, where Ukrainian forces repelled 60 assaults.

Another 44 attacks occurred in the Lyman and Novopavlivka directions. Clashes also continue on the Kursk bridgehead, according to the General Staff’s morning briefing on Tuesday, May 13.

With her unit surrounded and no one in command, Svitlana took over, seized a grenade launcher, and used it to wipe out the group of enemy attackers.

Combat medic Svitlana from the 128th Territorial Defense Brigade, currently deployed in the Zaporizhzhia area, saved her fellow soldiers from an attempted enemy encirclement. Spotting the threat, she grabbed a grenade launcher and, with a precise shot, eliminated a group of advancing Russian troops, according to a statement from Ukraine’s General Staff on Monday, May 12.

Svitlana who before the war was a highly experienced intensive care nurse at the Mechnikov Hospital in Dnipro, volunteered for Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces at the start of the 2022 full-scale invasion,.

In April, prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 1.8%, with fruits spiking by 7.9%.

Inflation in Ukraine reached 15.1% year-over-year, up from 14.6% in March, according to data published by the country’s State Statistics Service on May 9.

Core inflation also rose by 0.4% in April 2025 compared to March 2025. Since the beginning of the year, it has increased by a total of 3.9%.

Zelensky says he’s ready for direct talks with Putin in Turkey, but the Russian ruler remains silent. Erdoğan and Trump back the meeting. Kremlin’s bombing, shelling, and assaults continue unabated.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reiterated his readiness for direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, offering to travel to Turkey for negotiations, but said Moscow has not yet respond.

“I’ve just spoken with President Erdoğan of Türkiye. It was a meaningful conversation. I’m grateful to the President for the support. I reaffirmed to him my readiness for direct and substantive negotiations with Putin,” Zelensky said in his evening address.

Residents can only contact emergency services via payphones or in person.

Lysychansk, the Russian-occupied city in the Luhansk region, remains without mobile communication or Internet access.

Oleksiy Kharchenko, the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, said this in a post on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

The trip marks the US president’s first major visit abroad of his second term, with the White House saying he looked forward to a “historic return” to the region.

Donald Trump will arrive in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday on the first leg of a Gulf tour that will also take him to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, eyeing business deals even as accords on the Middle East’s hotspots will likely be harder to reach.

The trip marks the US president’s first major visit abroad of his second term, with the White House saying he looked forward to a “historic return” to the region.

Protesters at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing are allowing just one vehicle per hour as tensions flare again over competition from Ukrainian hauliers.

Ukrainian and Polish officials said that Polish protesters resumed blocking one of the main border crossings, a flashback to massive protests in 2023 which severely disrupted transport routes.

Both Ukraine’s border service and a local Polish police spokeswoman, Ewa Czyż, said that the protest started at 2pm (GMT+1) on Monday at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk crossing on the Polish side of the border.

Latest from the Institute for the Study of War.

Key Takeaways from the ISW:

• Russian officials appear to be setting conditions for Russian President Vladimir Putin to reject Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s invitation to meet on May 15 in Istanbul for bilateral ceasefire negotiations.
• Russia has reportedly deployed a largely ceremonial regiment of the Federal Security Service (FSB) to the frontline in Donetsk Oblast, likely in an effort to generate fear of more rapid future Russian advances.
• Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk direction. Russian forces recently advanced in the Toretsk, Pokrovsk, and Novopavlivka directions.

Former US Envoy to Ukraine tells Kyiv Post Russia’s oil and banking sectors are vulnerable targets as the US aims to end the war by demanding a 30-day ceasefire, and punishing Moscow if it resists.

As Ukraine watchers are mulling today whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will indeed travel to Istanbul this week for face-to-face talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, William Taylor, former top US envoy to Ukraine, urges the Western allies to “hold the line” and to consider imposing serious sanctions on Russia’s oil and banking sectors if the Kremlin leader does not show up or agree to a 30-day ceasefire.

“It takes some work to put on those sanctions, but that work should start rather now,” Taylor, who served as chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Kyiv during Donald Trump’s first term, and as the US Ambassador to Ukraine under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, said in an interview with Kyiv Post on Monday.

“We see strong interest from European companies and associations in the Ukrainian defense industry, and this interest is mutual. We aim to develop partnerships that benefit both sides,” Kyiv says.

The Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine and Aerospace, Security and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defense industry cooperation on Monday.

“Today, at the EU-Ukraine Defense Industry Forum in Brussels, Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, and Jan Pie, Secretary General of the Aerospace, Security and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defense industry cooperation,” the press release reads.