Preliminary findings suggest that one of the men killed the other before taking his own life.
Western leaders dismissed the Kremlin's proposal for talks in Istanbul on May 15 as insufficient.
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.
Pope said he was praying to God to grant the world the "miracle of peace."
Ushakov’s comments follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 11 invitation for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15.
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.
Zelensky called a ceasefire the essential first step toward ending the war.
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"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."
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on May 11.
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."
Bloomberg: US considers recognizing Russian mercenary Wagner Group ‘terrorist organization’
The U.S. administration debates whether to declare the private military company Wagner, controlled by close Vladimir Putin's ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, a foreign terrorist organization, Bloomberg reported, citing two people familiar with the matter.
Such a decision would allow the U.S. to initiate criminal prosecutions against the group and its members, as well as seize its assets worldwide. The final decision on this has yet to be made, according to the sources. The White House and the U.S. State Department didn't provide comments.
Washington aims to curb the mercenaries’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine and counter their increasing influence in Africa, Bloomberg wrote. Wagner Group group, as its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, is already sanctioned by the U.S., EU, and the U.K.
On Nov. 12, the Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone published a gruesome video showing a man called Yevhen Nuzhin being repeatedly beaten with a sledgehammer. In the video, Nuzhin said he had been recruited by the mercenaries to fight in Ukraine and surrendered to the Ukrainian military to take their side. It was not immediately clear who was behind the video, or how Nuzhin would have ended up back in Russia.
Wagner Group has been accused of human rights abuses, including torture and extrajudicial killings, in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Mozambique.
Most Popular

After 3 years of full-scale war in Ukraine, Europe announces plan to ban all Russian gas imports

Journalist Roshchyna's body missing organs after Russian captivity, investigation says

Ukrainian sea drone downs Russian fighter jet in 'world-first' strike, intelligence says

'Justice inevitably comes' — Zelensky on deaths of high-ranking Russian officials

Ukraine is sending the war back to Russia — just in time for Victory Day
Editors' Picks

How medics of Ukraine’s 3rd Assault Brigade deal with horrors of drone warfare

As Russia trains abducted children for war, Ukraine fights uphill battle to bring them home

'I just hate the Russians' — Kyiv district recovers from drone strike as ceasefire remains elusive
