The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
The assault began around 2 a.m. on May 11, with Russian forces deploying 108 Shahed-type attack drones and decoy UAVs from multiple directions, Ukraine’s Air Force said.
"Think of the hundreds of thousands of lives that will be saved as this never ending 'bloodbath' hopefully comes to an end... I will continue to work with both sides to make sure that it happens."
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.
Ukraine's illegal gasoline market expands in 2021, costing the state $40 million in unpaid taxes. (Freepik)
Ukrainian imports of chemical solvents skyrocketed by 86% to 132,000 tons in 2021, according to the Kyiv-based A-95 consulting group.
While such chemicals are commonly used in the paint and varnish industry, in Ukraine, the increase in imports of solvents points to a different trend.
“This is a booming increase, but in counterfeit gasoline production,” Sergiy Kuyun, head of A-95 consulting group, in his wrote for Liga.net on Jan. 18.
According to him, every fifth liter of gasoline produced in Ukraine is produced illegally, which means that illegal gasoline constitutes some 500,000 tons out of a total 2.4 million tons. As a result, the state budget lost $40 million in unpaid excise taxes last year, a procurement watchdog Nashi Groshi reported.
Nearly 95% of all solvents, or 125,000 tons, were imported from Russia and Belarus. The flow of chemicals from Belarus has tripled over the last year, up to 58,000 tons.
Three quarters of all imported solvents were used to illegal produce the A-92 gasoline brand, says Kuyun.
The scheme saves up to $0.5 per liter for producers, amid a 25% jump in official petrol prices in 2021, which now stand north of $1.1 per liter.
Additionally, chemical solvents were added to pure gasoline after it was produced out of oil at small refineries, according to Oleksiy Movchan, a lawmaker representing the governing Servant of the People party.
Overall, there are 25 of such refineries across Ukraine, says Movchan. With no proper equipment, they are able to produce only low-quality fuel, he adds.
“When buying six liters of such a mixture at a dubious gas station, you are guaranteed to get five liters of low-quality gasoline and one liter of additives,” said Movchan.
According to him, such gasoline doesn't meets environmental standards, as it contains sulfur and toxic lead, and may harm car engines due to high combustion temperature.
As of November, the State Environmental Agency detected more than 7,200 tons of counterfeit fuel, whose components did not match required standards. Fines totaling $530,000 were imposed on fuel sellers.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian gasoline and diesel fuel market in 2021 grew by record year-on-year 7% up to 10.3 million tons.
Natalia Datskevych is a business reporter at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, she worked as business reporter for the Kyiv Post. She studied economic theory at Kyiv National Economic University and holds a Ph.D in economic science.
