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.
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Sunday, May 11
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."
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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.
Sunday, May 11
(Updated: )
"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.
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Media: Dutch Defense Minister says transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine could take up to 8 months
• 2 min read
The delivery of F-16s to Ukraine could take anywhere from six to eight months due to prerequisites that need to be met before the jets make their way to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren told European Pravda in an interview.
Ollongren said that while pilot training has already begun, the number of pilots trained needs to increase so that there are enough trained personnel to use the F-16 fighters in combat.
Following Denmark’s pledge to provide Ukraine with the jets, eight Ukrainian pilots and 65 personnel arrived at a military base in Skrydstrup to begin training on the jets, the Danish Armed Forces announced on Aug. 22.
Kajsa also said that work is underway in Ukraine to build the proper infrastructure and advanced weapon systems for the fighter jets—crucial for their use in the war.
"From the Netherlands' perspective, we need all prerequisites to be met first. Namely, that the crews are trained, that we understand that the infrastructure is ready, and that we have not only the aircraft but also spare parts, the necessary weapons for them, and so on. With this in mind, we have realistic expectations for next year," the Minister told European Pravda.
Ollongren highlighted ongoing discussions about the specific transfer terms, which includes multiple countries.
"We have not yet decided on the exact terms, and it depends not only on us. This is also an issue where the United States has an important voice. And where Ukraine's voice also counts," she said.
Denmark and the Netherlands have pledged to provide dozens of their own F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force. On Aug. 24, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store confirmed that his country would provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.
Air Force: F-16 jets can change course of war in Ukraine
F-16 fighter jets can change the course of events in Russia’s war against Ukraine, providing Ukrainian troops with much-needed air superiority in occupied territories, according to Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat.
Dinara Khalilova
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