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.
Ukrainian soldiers prepare D-30 artillery for firing in the direction of Bakhmut as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Aug. 13, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ukrainian forces have liberated three square kilometers of land near Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast over the last week, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on Aug. 14.
Maliar said that 40 square kilometers on the southern flank of the Bakhmut area had already been gained by Ukrainian forces since the city fell to Russian forces in late May.
She added that Russian forces attempted to regain positions they had previously lost in the areas west of Klishchiivka, Andriivka, and Kurdyumivka.
On Aug. 8, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, said that Ukrainian forces continued to hold the initiative on the battlefield around Bakhmut despite heavy Russian artillery fire.
The Bakhmut area remains one of the main sectors of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Maliar said on Aug. 1. that Russia is concentrating its forces along the eastern front line, namely near Kupiansk, Lyman, and Svatove, trying to pull Ukrainian forces away from Bakhmut and stop their advance in that area.
Alexander Query
