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.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (R) and Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles (L) attend the first day of the NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting on Feb. 14, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed that Spain would transfer six renovated Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks to Ukraine, reports El Pais.
Robles added that the goal is to have the tanks in Ukraine by the end of March or early April.
Spain joins a growing coalition of Western allies supplying tanks to Ukraine.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry said on Feb. 21. that Poland will provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks in the “next two to three weeks” after Ukrainian troops complete their training.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell made an appeal on Feb. 15 to the countries with modern tanks that are “just standing and covered with dust” to send them to Ukraine as fast as possible, adding that the spring and summer of 2023 would be decisive for the outcome of Russia's war against Ukraine.
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