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.
Illustrative purposes: Ukrainian forces successfully down a Shahed-type drone over the skies of Sumy Oblast on Jan. 9, 2024. (Sumy Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)
Russian forces attacked Sumy Oblast 242 times in 51 separate attacks throughout the day, injuring four people, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration reported on April 23.
The communities of Mykolaiv, Khotin, Yunakivka, Novoslobidske, Hlukhiv, Bilopillia, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Esman, Seredyna-Buda, and Shalyhyne were targeted.
In the communities of Seredyna-Buda and Bilopillia, two people were injured as a result of separate Russian shelling occurrences. While in the village of Shalyhyne, two people received injuries as a result of a rocket attack.
No details were provided on the extent of the victims' injuries.
Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, artillery, rocket, and drone attacks. Explosives were also dropped by drones onto four of the communities.
The village of Shalyhyne, with a pre-war population of about 2,200 residents, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported with 38 explosions recorded in the area. The community is located just seven kilometers west of the Ukraine-Russia border.
Russian attacks on Sumy Oblast have become increasingly destructive in recent months. Authorities have been working to increase evacuation effortsin the region.
Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experience multiple attacks per day.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Elsa Court
