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."
Speaker of the Estonian Parliament Lauri Hussar and Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk in Kyiv on March 26, 2024. (Ruslan Stefanchuk / Facebook)
Lauri Hussar, the speaker of the Riigikogu, Estonia's Parliament, visited Kyiv on March 26 and met with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.
Stefanchuk said he thanked Hussar for Estonia's recently announced 18th aid package for Ukraine, worth 20 million euros ($22 million).
Hussar and Stefanchuk also discussed sanctions, Ukraine's integration with the European Union, and NATO.
Stefanchuk said that Ukraine "relies on Estonia's leadership in achieving ambitious results at the next NATO Summit in Washington."
Stefanchuk thanked Estonia for its "active position in the issue of holding Russia accountable for war crimes." Hussar visited Poland on March 25, where he raised the issue with his Polish counterpart, Szymon Holownia.
"The perpetrators of the crime of aggression must be brought before an international special tribunal, and Russia’s frozen assets must be used to compensate the war damages in Ukraine," Hussar said in Warsaw.
Estonia is one of the leading military donors to Ukraine in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Over the next four years, Tallinn plans to allocate 0.25% of its GDP to military assistance for Kyiv.
Nate Ostiller
