Preliminary findings suggest that one of the men killed the other before taking his own life.
Western leaders dismissed the Kremlin's proposal for talks in Istanbul on May 15 as insufficient.
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.
Pope said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace."
Ushakov’s comments follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 11 invitation for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15.
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.
Zelensky called a ceasefire the essential first step toward ending the war.
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"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."
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on May 11.
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.
EU Council adopts 18 billion euro assistance for Ukraine despite blockage by Hungary
The EU Council said on Dec. 10 that it reached an agreement on a "legislative package that will enable the EU to help Ukraine financially throughout 2023 with 18 billion euros.” The proposal will be submitted to the European Parliament “for possible adoption” next week.
To assist Ukraine with paying for essential public services, maintaining macroeconomic stability, and restoring critical infrastructure destroyed by Russian attacks, the European Commission proposed an 18 billion euro support package earlier on Nov. 9.
Hungary didn't support the aid package at an EU ambassadors' meeting on the same day, according to three officials cited by Politico media outlet.
On Dec. 6, Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said that “Hungary doesn't support changes to the financial regulation.” The EU can only allocate the money with the backing of all 27 union countries, as the budget rules require unanimity.
However, Czech Finance Minister and EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council President (ECOFIN) Zbynek Stanjura said that the EU was looking for another mechanism to start allocating funds to Ukraine.
“The legislation which we adopted today means that Ukraine can count on regular financial help from the EU throughout 2023,” Stanjura said on Dec. 10, as quoted by the Council of EU official website.
Most Popular

After 3 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Europe announces plan to ban all Russian gas imports

Journalist Roshchyna's body missing organs after Russian captivity, investigation says

Ukrainian sea drone downs Russian fighter jet in 'world-first' strike, intelligence says

'Justice inevitably comes' — Zelensky on deaths of high-ranking Russian officials

Ukraine is sending the war back to Russia — just in time for Victory Day
Editors' Picks

How medics of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade deal with horrors of drone warfare

As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home

'I just hate the Russians' — Kyiv district recovers from drone strike as ceasefire remains elusive
