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.
"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.
The American-made weapons cannot be exported, even by a country that owns them, without approval from the U.S. government.
EU preparing 17th package of Russia sanctions, EUobserver reports

The European Union is preparing its 17th package of sanctions against Russia amid Moscow's demands for lifting some Western restrictions as part of its ceasefire terms, EUobserver reported on March 27, citing four unnamed EU diplomats.
Following two days of talks in Saudi Arabia, Washington agreed on March 25 to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports by lowering maritime insurance costs and enhancing access to global ports and payment systems. U.S. President Donald Trump said later that Washington was "looking at" the possibility of lifting some sanctions on Russia to secure the Black Sea ceasefire.
In the meantime, work on a new round of EU sanctions against Russia has started and is “at a very early stage,” one of the sources told EUobserver. The European Commission is expected to present its proposals in early summer, another diplomat told the media outlet.
Commenting on the timeline, one of the diplomats told the outlet that "it’s too speculative at this point," adding that the bloc will be watching how the ceasefire talks between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia will unfold.
"Keep up the pressure on Russia. It was very clear that the sanctions stay in place. What we want is a just and lasting peace agreement. That is the goal," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on March 27 following a "Coalition of the Willing" summit in Paris.
According to European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper, Russia's "unconditional withdrawal" from Ukraine is one of the main preconditions for changing or lifting EU sanctions.
Russia, Ukraine and the U.S. have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea and a ban on energy infrastructure strikes. However, Moscow insists that the Black Sea ceasefire will take effect only if the West lifts sanctions on Rosselkhozbank and other financial institutions linked to food trade, restoring their access to the SWIFT payment system.
The Kremlin is also demanding the removal of sanctions on Russian food producers, exporters, and Russian-flagged cargo vessels involved in agricultural trade.

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