"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.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Nikolaienko, accused of hitting and killing a 18-year-old girl with his car on Nov. 9, 2023. (Andrii Nikolaienko/Facebook)
The Kyiv Pechersk District Court put lawmaker Andrii Nikolaienko under round-the-clock house arrest for two months, Suspilne news outlet reported on Nov. 9.
Nikolaienko is under investigation for hitting and killing an 18-year-old girl with his car in Zhytomyr Oblast on Nov. 3.
According to the National Police's regional branch, the lawmaker hit the girl as she was walking down a highway in the town of Berezivka. She died at the scene of the accident.
The investigation showed, as cited by Suspilne, that the girl was crossing the road in an improper place.
Nikolaienko will remain under house arrest until Jan. 4 and will be forced to wear an electronic bracelet, Suspilne wrote.
During the court hearing, the prosecutor requested to detain Nikolaienko without bail as a technical examination allegedly showed that his car was moving at 141-153 kilometers per hour.
Nikolaienko's lawyers reportedly argued that the speed examination was biased since an eyewitness estimated the driver's speed at about 80 km per hour. The lawyers insisted that an assessment of the braking distance should also be conducted, according to Suspilne.
Around 20 lawmakers came to the hearing to support Nikolaienko, the media outlet added.
On the day of the incident, Nikolaienko admitted he had struck a person with his car, claiming he was sober and did not violate any traffic rules and that "the tragedy could not be avoided."
Stanislav Aseyev
