U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce called for "concrete proposals from both sides" in order for Washington to "move forward" in peace negotiations.
"If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn't know what they are saying," one Western official told NBC News. Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, called Witkoff's approach "a very bad idea."
Tougher sanctions "should be applied to (Russia's) banking and energy sectors, targeting fossil fuels, oil, and the shadow fleet," the leaders of Ukraine, the U.K., France, Germany, and Poland said in a joint statement.
"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power."
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
Illustrative photo: Ukrainian forces successfully down a Shahed-type drone over the skies of Sumy Oblast on Jan. 9, 2024. (Sumy Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)
Ukrainian air defense units shot down all of the 18 Russian attack drones overnight on May 14, the Air Force said in its morning update.
The drones were launched from the occupied Crimean peninsula. Missile units and mobile fire groups of the Ukrainian Air Force intercepted the drones over Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Khmelnytsky oblasts.
Russian forces also targeted Ukraine with at least one Iskander-M ballistic missile. It is unclear whether the missile was downed.
Drone attacks are a daily occurrence in Ukraine, affecting various regions across the country. Ukraine suffers a critical shortage of air defensesystems due to delays caused by Congress in passing U.S. military aid, giving Russian forces the opportunity to launch renewed assaults on energy infrastructure.
Ukraine's ability to intercept Russian missile attacks has declined, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal on May 13.
Around 46% of missiles were intercepted in the last six months, compared to 73% intercepted in the preceding six-month period. Last month, 30% of missiles were intercepted.
Francis Farrell
