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.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
A purported photo of the aftermath of a strike against the Sevmorzavod ship repair facility in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sept. 13, 2023. (Source: Mikhail Razvozhayev/Telegram)
The Russian navy moved three amphibious landing boats out of the Black Sea and into the Azov Sea, Ukrainian Navy Speaker Dmytro Pletenchuk mentioned during a question and answer session.
A Russian landing boat and a submarine were allegedly damaged in Crimea during a Sept. 13 attack by Ukraine. Pletenchuk said that the ship that was hit, Minsk, can't be restored because of the nature of the damage and its advanced age.
His statement echoed British intelligence, whose report stated that the Minsk was almost certainly destroyed. The submarine Rostov-on-Don, meanwhile, took catastrophic damage and would take a huge investment of time and money to restore.
Ukraine's attack on Sept. 13 targeted the Sevmorzavod shipyard, important for maintaining ships in the Black Sea. Some of it was damaged, possibly slowing down its ability to repair Russian warships.
Ukrainian forces also hit a Russian S-400 missile installation, the second in several weeks, with damage believed to be high. This weakens Russia's air defense over Crimea and the land and sea around it, making its ships and land forces more vulnerable.
Crimea is critical for its naval infrastructure and line of supply for the Russian forces in Ukraine. Russian warships are important missile platforms that attack Odesa and other parts of Ukraine.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Igor Kossov
