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.
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.
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."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba hold a press conference on Nov. 15, 2021. (NATO)
A majority of Ukrainians would vote for joining the European Union and NATO if the referendum took place in the upcoming week, according to a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey published on Dec. 24.
The poll showed that 67% of surveyed Ukrainians would support joining the EU, while nearly 22% would vote against it.
Just over 59% of surveyed Ukrainians would vote for Ukraine to join NATO. At the same time, 28% would oppose that.
The survey results confirm Ukraine's aspiration to integrate with the EU and NATO, despite Russia's attempts to influence the course. On Dec. 17, Moscow suggested agreements with the West that would prevent Ukraine from ever joining NATO, as well as de facto reinstate Russia's exclusive influence in Eastern Europe.
According to the survey, the vast majority of residents in the west and center of the country support both EU and NATO accession, the press release says. In Ukraine’s south and east support for Euro-Atlantic integration is lower.
The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology surveyed 1,203 adult Ukrainians in mid-December.
Two pie charts show the results of a survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology that asked Ukrainians whether they support Ukraine’s accession to EU and NATO. The poll results were published on Dec. 24, 2021.
According to a similar survey conducted in November-December by Razumkov Center, there is a big difference in political leaning between the west and east of Ukraine.
Two pie charts, with data from a survey conducted by Razumkov Center, show support for Ukraine’s accession to EU and NATO depending on the region – east, south, center, and west of Ukraine. The poll was published on Dec. 24, 2021.
Over 79% of Ukrainians in the west support EU accession, with 77% supporting joining NATO as well. In the east, however, only 35% and 30% of people support joining the EU and NATO, respectively.
Almost 60% of citizens in the central region support joining the EU, and 49% support joining NATO. Lastly, 41% of southerners support EU accession, and only 31% support Ukraine’s potential accession to NATO.
Anastasiia Lapatina is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the same role at the Kyiv Post and has focused on politics and human rights in conflict zones and issues in Russia-occupied Crimea. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia in Canada.
