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.
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics welcomes Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska in Riga, Latvia, on Jan. 31, 2024. (President Edgars Rinkevics/X)
Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska arrived in Latvia on Jan. 31 for a two-day visit to meet top Latvian officials and participate in a Riga conference on the abduction and displacement of Ukrainian children by Russia.
Latvia has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies during the full-scale war with Russia, providing extensive diplomatic, humanitarian, and military support since the start of the full-scale war.
Zelenska was welcomed by Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, who assured her that "Latvia will continue supporting Ukraine in its work to return abducted Ukrainian children from Russia, rehabilitation of Ukrainian children, women and wounded soldiers."
The First Lady is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Evika Silina to discuss humanitarian and other support and the situation regarding Russian war crimes against Ukraine.
On Feb. 1, Rinkevics and Zelenska will open the "Russia's War on Children" conference, addressing Russia's abduction of over 19,500 Ukrainian children and possible ways to facilitate their return.
According to the Children of War database, only 388 Ukrainian children have been safely brought home so far. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the official overseeing the process, in response to the abductions.
Zelenska is actively involved in the efforts to facilitate the return of the children. Last week, she addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), calling on European parliaments "to join in order to force Russia to comply with at least the Geneva Conventions."
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Latvia on Jan. 11 as part of his tour of the Baltic countries.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
