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."
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.
Experimental Ukrainian military boots were tested in various environments through much of 2021. (ArmyInform)
It looks like Ukraine's military can soon expect a new goodie to stay warm in the nasty weather.
The Armed Forces are currently completing field tests of new soldier boots for wintertime. These are expected to outmatch standard-issue models produced by Ukrainian company Talan, a major contractor for the military.
Talan's boots have been in wide use for years and received mixed feedback from personnel. Many criticized the footwear for being heavy, sultry and not breathable enough, according to the military. The sole was also said to be far from perfect.
Now is the company's attempt to redeem itself. The new experimental footwear, also designed and modified by Talan, is aimed at being drier, warmed, lighter, and more comfortable for long walks.
The new boots are made from nubuck leather to make them breathe easier. Soles are designed to cleanse themselves of dirt on the go, have better grip and make the wearer expend less energy while walking. The designers also said it's now faster and easier to tie the laces.
Experimental Ukrainian military boots were tested in various environments through much of 2021. (ArmyInform)
The boots' anti-puncture Kevlar layer sits next to the neoprene heat insulating cover, in addition to a foil layer in the boot tip, which makes them comfortably warm in the cold season.
According to the military, the new model weighs 10% less than the old Talans. The basic color was changed to olive to look better with the standard MM14 camouflage pattern widely used with Ukraine's field fatigues.
According to the military, the new boots have been tested in everyday use, in long marches and in the frosty and wet weather, receiving positive feedback from personnel.
Experimental Ukrainian military boots were tested in various environments through much of 2021. (ArmyInform)
Illia Ponomarenko was a defense and security reporter at the Kyiv Independent in 2021-2023. He has reported about the war in eastern Ukraine since the conflict’s earliest days. He covers national security issues, as well as military technologies, production, and defense reforms in Ukraine. Besides, he gets deployed to the war zone of Donbas with Ukrainian combat formations. He has also had deployments to Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an embedded reporter with UN peacekeeping forces. Illia won the Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellowship and was selected to work as USA Today's guest reporter at the U.S. Department of Defense.
