**EU Warns of Significant Sanctions if No Progress in Ukraine Peace Talks**
The European Union is preparing to tighten sanctions against Russia significantly if there’s no progress made in ending the war in Ukraine this week. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made this statement on May 13, ahead of a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul.
Merz said that EU leaders support Zelensky’s diplomatic push for a ceasefire but warned of new sanctions if Putin refuses to engage seriously. The EU has already imposed 16 sanction packages since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, targeting military suppliers, Russian state entities, and individuals involved in the war.
The next package of sanctions is expected to be unveiled on May 14 and may target additional sectors of Russia’s economy, including energy and financial markets. Merz also warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
**US Officials to Attend Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks**
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials will attend the planned peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey on May 15. This marks the first public confirmation of Cabinet-level U.S. involvement in the negotiations.
Trump’s announcement comes as international attention centers on Istanbul, where Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed hosting direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Ukrainian President Zelensky has said he will attend, but the Kremlin has so far stayed quiet about the possibility of Putin attending.
**Zelensky to Meet Erdogan in Turkey Ahead of Peace Talks**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 13 that he expects a ceasefire to result from a potential in-person meeting with Putin. The meeting, if it occurs, would mark the first direct negotiations between the two leaders since 2019 and could signal a breakthrough in stalled diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Zelensky will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Putin chooses to attend the talks there. The meeting would be a significant step towards a ceasefire, and Kyiv continues to demand an unconditional ceasefire.
**Ukraine Reports Destroying Russian Military Systems**
The Ukrainian Special Operations Forces reported destroying a Russian Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system and a Uragan-1 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) on May 13. The attack drones destroyed the systems, which are estimated to be worth $45 million, during reconnaissance in an unspecified front-line sector.
**Former Nuclear Power Plant Employee Arrested for Allegedly Helping Russia’s GRU**
A former employee of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant has been arrested on suspicion of working with Russian military intelligence (GRU) to help target drone strikes on the facility’s power lines. The suspect allegedly scouted the locations of Ukrainian troops guarding the NPP and tried to install a GPS tracker on one of the main power line’s poles.
The SBU said that the man was detained when trying to activate a tracking module. This is the latest example of alleged Russian attempts to target critical infrastructure in Ukraine.
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