"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.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
stonia, Tallinn: The Russian embassy in Estonia, Tallinn, with a fence on which protests against the Russian attack on Ukraine are displayed on 20 June 2024, (Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Estonia's parliament on March 26 voted to amend the constitution to deprive non-EU citizens — mainly targeting Russins and Belarusians — voting rights in local elections, Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) reported.
The Baltic state's population is around 1.3 million including some 322,700 ethnic Russians, of which around 90,000 have Russian citizenship, according to data from 2022.
Rising tensions between the Baltic states and Russia and its ally Belarus since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine prompted Estonia in 2022 to prohibit Russian citizens from obtaining visas and residence permits for working, doing business, and studying.
"The decisions in our local life won't be made by the citizens of the aggressor states, but we'll decide by ourselves," Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said after the March 26 vote.
According to the amendments, only Estonian and EU citizens will have the right to vote in local elections. Those with undefined citizenship and stateless persons will be able to vote for the last time during the next elections, which will be held on Oct. 19.
A majority — 93 of 101 — of politicians voted in favour of the amendments. The bill now passes to Estonian President Alar Karis to sign into law.
Lauri Laats, chairman of the Centrist Party faction who voted against the amendment, described the decision as "wrong."
"This is not a democratic decision. We have already said that we will not support this decision," he added.
But Toomas Uibo, chairman of the liberal political party Estonia 200, denied the bill was discriminatory "because people have freedom of choice — they can become Estonian citizens."
Estonia has significantly increased its defense budget, allocating 3.2% of GDP to defense in 2024, more than double its spending since the all-out war in Ukraine began nearly three years ago.
Estonia has also pledged to raise defense spending from 3.7% of GDP to 5% during 2025 following the alarming Russian threat and U.S. President Donald Trump's call to increase defense spending.
Martin Fornusek
