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."
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) holds an alleged portrait of his father during the Immortal Regiment, a rally where people carrying portraits of their relatives-veterans of World War II, after the Victory Day Parade at Red Square in Moscow, Russia on May 9, 2022. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian nationals in the U.S. plan to hold the Immortal Regiment March in Washington, D.C., on May 3 to mark 80 years since the end of World War II, Ukrinform reported on April 21.
This will be the first time the event has been held in the U.S. capital since the outbreak of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine in 2022.
The Immortal Regiment March is typically a mass event throughout Russia, involving processions of people carrying photos of their relatives who fought in or were killed during World War II.
The organizers of the movement, who launched it in 2011, have since complained that Russian officials hijacked it for their political purposes.
The march is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. local time in Lafayette Square, near the White House, according to the brochure, which was distributed among Russian-speaking groups in the U.S. and obtained by Ukrinform.
The marchers will walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to the World War II Memorial in downtown Washington, D.C.
Similar events must be authorized by municipal authorities. The organizers said they had permission, the Ukrainian news agency reported, citing undisclosed sources.
The Metropolitan Police Department's press service in Washington, D.C., did not immediately respond to the news agency's request for comment, Ukrinform reported.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Kate Tsurkan
