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."
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.
The EU and Ukrainian flags in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, July 2023. (Thierry Monasse / Getty Images)
The European Parliament voted to endorse a proposal for financing Ukraine's "recovery, reconstruction, and modernization from 2024" worth 50 billion euros ($52.8 billion), the parliament's press office announced on Oct. 17.
The vote on the creation of the Ukraine Facility, as the financing package is known, saw 512 MEPs vote in favor, 45 against, and 63 abstentions.
The Ukraine Facility will be part of the EU's long-term budget, which "has been severely depleted following the multiple crises that have occurred since 2021," according to the press office.
The official adoption package will therefore be put to a vote in the coming months, along with the revision of the long-term EU budget.
The European Commission first revealed the proposals for the Ukraine Facility in June 2023, with the aim to finance Kyiv's current expenditures and urgent reconstruction through grants, concessional loans, and guarantees.
The proposal was made public ahead of the June 22 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, where donors discussed ways to aid Ukraine's reconstruction.
It is to be financed through contributions of European Union member states and cover the period from 2024-2027.
The Ukrainian government is required to implement "key reforms on its EU accession track" in order to access this support, the European Commission explained.
"Significant emphasis will be placed on public administration reform, good governance, the rule of law, anti-corruption, and sound financial management," according to the commission.
European leaders granted Ukraine candidate status on June 23, 2022, in a historic step on the long and difficult path to EU membership. There is no timeline set for the accession process, and it may take years to complete.
However, on Sept. 26, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that the Ukrainian government has implemented all seven steps recommended by the European Commission for EU accession talks to begin.
On Oct. 2, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that "considering all the reforms that Ukraine has carried out, is carrying out, and will carry out," the process is moving forward "with maximum speed."
Martin Fornusek
