Europe to press U.S. for tougher sanctions on Russia if Putin refuses to meet Zelensky in Istanbul — Bloomberg
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/europe-to-press-u-s-for-tougher-sanctions-on-russia-if-putin-refuses-to-meet-zelensky-in-istanbul-bloomberg
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/europe-to-press-u-s-for-tougher-sanctions-on-russia-if-putin-refuses-to-meet-zelensky-in-istanbul-bloomberg
Meduza
Europe to press U.S. for tougher sanctions on Russia if Putin refuses to meet Zelensky in Istanbul — Bloomberg
European leaders plan to press U.S. President Donald Trump to make good on his threat of new sanctions against Russia if Vladimir Putin refuses to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on May 15 or fails to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire…
U.S. envoy says Trump has threatened to leave peace negotiations if direct talks between Russia and Ukraine don't occur soon
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/u-s-envoy-says-trump-has-threatened-to-leave-peace-negotiations-if-direct-talks-between-russia-and-ukraine-don-t-occur-soon
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/u-s-envoy-says-trump-has-threatened-to-leave-peace-negotiations-if-direct-talks-between-russia-and-ukraine-don-t-occur-soon
Meduza
U.S. envoy says Trump has threatened to leave peace negotiations if direct talks between Russia and Ukraine don't occur soon —…
Donald Trump has “issued an ultimatum” to Russia and Ukraine, saying that Washington will leave the negotiating table if they don’t engage in direct talks soon, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff told Breitbart in an interview published Monday.
U.N. aviation authority rules Russia responsible for 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/u-n-aviation-authority-rules-russia-responsible-for-2014-downing-of-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/u-n-aviation-authority-rules-russia-responsible-for-2014-downing-of-malaysia-airlines-flight-mh17
Meduza
U.N. aviation authority rules Russia responsible for 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17
The Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has formally found Russia responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, the Dutch Foreign Ministry announced.
Sergey Surovikin, former commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine who faded from view after Prigozhin rebellion, resurfaces in Algeria
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/sergey-surovikin-russia-s-top-commander-in-ukraine-until-2023-prigozhin-rebellion-resurfaces-in-algeria
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/sergey-surovikin-russia-s-top-commander-in-ukraine-until-2023-prigozhin-rebellion-resurfaces-in-algeria
Meduza
Sergey Surovikin, former commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine who faded from view after Prigozhin rebellion, resurfaces in Algeria
Russian General Sergey Surovikin, the ex-commander of Russia's invasion forces in Ukraine who disappeared from the public eye in 2023, is now working in Algeria, according to pro-war Telegram channels.
Top Zelensky adviser says Ukrainian president will meet only with Putin in Istanbul
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/top-zelensky-adviser-says-ukrainian-president-will-meet-only-with-putin-in-istanbul
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/top-zelensky-adviser-says-ukrainian-president-will-meet-only-with-putin-in-istanbul
Meduza
Top Zelensky adviser says Ukrainian president will meet only with Putin in Istanbul
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not meet with any Russian representatives in Istanbul except President Vladimir Putin, senior Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in an interview on The Breakfast Show.
'I asked myself whether I was a psychopath'. Confessions of a Meduza journalist who continues to report anonymously from Putin's Russia
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/13/i-asked-myself-whether-i-was-a-psychopath
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/13/i-asked-myself-whether-i-was-a-psychopath
Meduza
'I asked myself whether I was a psychopath'
Meduza’s 10th anniversary exhibition, “No,” is currently open to the public at Berlin’s Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien gallery. The show, which is dedicated to everyone to dares to resist, brings together artists and journalists alike to reflect on themes…
Ten ex-convicts who signed Russian army contracts escape from training ground just before scheduled deployment
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/ten-ex-convicts-who-signed-russian-army-contracts-escape-from-military-training-ground-just-before-deployment-date
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/ten-ex-convicts-who-signed-russian-army-contracts-escape-from-military-training-ground-just-before-deployment-date
Meduza
Ten ex-convicts who signed Russian army contracts escape from training ground just before scheduled deployment
Ten former convicts who had signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry and were due to be sent to fight in Ukraine have escaped from a military training ground near Rostov, according to the news site DonDay and the local outlet 161.ru.
Trump's attendance at Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul will depend largely on whether Putin joins — CNN
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/trump-s-attendance-at-russia-ukraine-talks-in-istanbul-will-depend-largely-on-whether-putin-joins-cnn
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/13/trump-s-attendance-at-russia-ukraine-talks-in-istanbul-will-depend-largely-on-whether-putin-joins-cnn
Meduza
Trump's attendance at Russia–Ukraine talks in Istanbul will depend largely on whether Putin joins — CNN — Meduza
Whether Donald Trump travels to Istanbul to join the May 15 talks between Russia and Ukraine will depend largely on whether Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the meeting, CNN reports, citing a White House official.
‘Tools of pressure, isolation, and repression’. Russia’s new migrant registry strips 'illegal’ immigrants of rights — and it’s easy to land on it by mistake
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/13/tools-of-pressure-isolation-and-repression
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/13/tools-of-pressure-isolation-and-repression
Meduza
‘Tools of pressure, isolation, and repression’
In early February 2025, Russia launched a nationwide registry of “controlled individuals,” a system used to track foreign nationals deemed to be living in the country without legal status. Being added to the list comes with sweeping restrictions: individuals…
Diplomacy on a deadline. Re: Russia analysts explain why Putin’s peace summit in Turkey poses enormous risks not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/13/diplomacy-on-a-deadline
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/13/diplomacy-on-a-deadline
Meduza
Diplomacy on a deadline
Volodymyr Zelensky says he will fly to Turkey and wait there for Vladimir Putin, aiming to resume direct negotiations on Thursday, May 15. If the Russian president shows up, U.S. President Donald Trump has said he’ll join, too. Put simply, what happens next…
Putin not expected to attend Turkey summit in person, will send top aide and foreign secretary in his place — The Washington Post
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/putin-not-expected-to-attend-turkey-summit-in-person-will-send-top-aide-and-foreign-secretary-in-his-place-the-washington-post
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/putin-not-expected-to-attend-turkey-summit-in-person-will-send-top-aide-and-foreign-secretary-in-his-place-the-washington-post
Meduza
Putin not expected to attend Turkey summit in person, will send top aide and foreign secretary in his place — The Washington Post
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and presidential aide Yuri Ushakov will represent Russia at negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, a former senior Kremlin official told The Washington Post. The newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda had previously reported…
Holy war games. State Duma lawmaker accuses exiled anti-war priests of assaulting Russia’s ‘spiritual shield’
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/14/holy-war-games
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/14/holy-war-games
Meduza
Holy war games
Western schemes to unravel Russia’s spiritual fabric have reached new depths, according to lawmaker Yana Lantratova, chair of the State Duma’s Public and Religious Associations Committee. At a plenary session on Tuesday, Lantratova described religion as Russia’s…
Zelensky says any meeting with Putin must result in ‘political victory' such as prisoner swap or ceasefire, not just talk
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/zelensky-says-any-meeting-with-putin-must-result-in-political-victory-not-just-talk
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/zelensky-says-any-meeting-with-putin-must-result-in-political-victory-not-just-talk
Meduza
Zelensky says any meeting with Putin must result in ‘political victory' such as prisoner swap or ceasefire, not just talk — Meduza
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that he plans to meet in person with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul in an effort to “find a framework to end the war.”
Germany has approved just 349 of over 6,000 asylum requests from Russian men since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/germany-has-approved-just-349-of-over-6-000-asylum-requests-from-russian-men-since-the-start-of-the-full-scale-war-in-ukraine
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/germany-has-approved-just-349-of-over-6-000-asylum-requests-from-russian-men-since-the-start-of-the-full-scale-war-in-ukraine
Meduza
Germany has approved just 349 of over 6,000 asylum requests from Russian men since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine —…
Between early 2022 and April 2025, a total of 6,274 Russian men aged 18 to 45 with Russian citizenship applied for asylum in Germany. Of these, only 349 were granted refugee status, subsidiary protection, or protection under a deportation ban, Berliner Morgenpost…
E.U. set to end tariff-free regime for Ukrainian products in early June — Financial Times
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/e-u-set-to-end-tariff-free-regime-for-ukrainian-products-in-early-june-financial-times
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/e-u-set-to-end-tariff-free-regime-for-ukrainian-products-in-early-june-financial-times
Meduza
E.U. set to end tariff-free regime for Ukrainian products in early June — Financial Times — Meduza
The E.U. is getting ready to end tariff-free access for Ukrainian goods in the coming weeks, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing diplomatic sources.
Moscow court sentences Russian election monitor Grigory Melkonyants to five years in prison for running ‘undesirable’ organization
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/moscow-court-sentences-russian-election-monitor-grigory-melkonyants-to-five-years-in-prison-for-running-undesirable-organization
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/moscow-court-sentences-russian-election-monitor-grigory-melkonyants-to-five-years-in-prison-for-running-undesirable-organization
Meduza
Moscow court sentences Russian election monitor Grigory Melkonyants to five years in prison for running ‘undesirable’ organization
A Moscow court has sentenced Grigory Melkonyants, co-chair of the independent election-monitoring group Golos, to five years in prison on charges of organizing the activities of an “undesirable” organization, Mediazona reported.
In southern Russia, mass killings of stray dogs spark outrage — and highlight a growing crisis
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/14/in-southern-russia-mass-killings-of-stray-dogs-spark-outrage-and-highlight-a-growing-crisis
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/14/in-southern-russia-mass-killings-of-stray-dogs-spark-outrage-and-highlight-a-growing-crisis
Meduza
Dogs, death, and disorder
The question of how to handle Russia’s growing stray dog population has become a source of heated debate. Lawmakers recently shelved a bill that would have allowed shelters to euthanize homeless animals, following widespread backlash across the country. But…
Germany arrests three Ukrainian nationals suspected of Russian-orchestrated bomb plot
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/germany-arrests-three-ukrainian-nationals-suspected-of-russian-orchestrated-bomb-plot
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/germany-arrests-three-ukrainian-nationals-suspected-of-russian-orchestrated-bomb-plot
Meduza
Germany arrests three Ukrainian nationals suspected of Russian-orchestrated bomb plot
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office has arrested three Ukrainian nationals on suspicion of plotting bomb attacks, allegedly at the direction of Russian authorities, the agency said in a statement.
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov won’t attend May 15 Istanbul talks with Ukraine — Kommersant
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-won-t-attend-may-15-istanbul-talks-with-ukraine-kommersant
https://meduza.io/en/news/2025/05/14/russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-won-t-attend-may-15-istanbul-talks-with-ukraine-kommersant
Meduza
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov won’t attend May 15 Istanbul talks with Ukraine — Kommersant
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will not participate in the Russian–Ukrainian negotiations scheduled for Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, the newspaper Kommersant reported, without disclosing its source or providing further details. It remains unclear…
Moscow's wartime porn crackdown. How the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has impacted Russia's adult content industry
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/14/moscow-s-wartime-porn-crackdown
https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/05/14/moscow-s-wartime-porn-crackdown
Meduza
Moscow's wartime porn crackdown How the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has impacted Russia's adult content industry — Meduza
Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it's become nearly impossible to “stay out of politics” in Russia. Militarization has permeated every corner of society — even the most intimate spheres, like the porn industry. Just three years ago…