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."
The aftermath of the Russian Aug. 18 attack on Donetsk Oblast. (Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office/Facebook)
Russian troops attacked different settlements in Donetsk Oblast, killing four people and injuring four more on Aug. 18, Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.
Russian artillery attack on a residential area in the town of Myrnohrad killed an 83-year-old woman and injured a 56-year-old woman.
On the same day, Russian troops hit Myrnohrad with drones, killing a 44-year-old man and injuring a 41-year-old man, prosecutors reported.
Russian troops also targeted the city of Toretsk with artillery, killing a 67-year-old woman in her home and injuring her 64-year-old husband.
According to the report, a 25-year-old man was killed in a Russian attack on the village of Rozlyv, as well as a 23-year-old local resident was injured there.
Myrnohrad lies just east of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub that has become the main focus of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast in the past months. The town is only some 6 kilometers (3 miles) away from the current front line.
The authorities are organizing evacuations, mainly for children and the elderly, but many residents are reportedly leaving themselves due to increasing Russian attacks in the area.
Emmanuelle Chaze
