"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.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
Illustrative purposes only: Russian warships sail along the Neva River during the main naval parade marking the Russian Navy Day in Saint Petersburg on July 28, 2024. (Olga Maltseva/ AFP via Getty Images)
Russia has trained its Navy to strike targets deep inside Europe with nuclear-capable arms in a potential conflict with NATO, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Aug. 13, referencing secret files provided by undisclosed Western sources.
The files seen by the FT contain maps of targets across western Europe, reaching as far as the west coast of France and Barrow-in-Furness in the U.K.
The alleged plans, drawn up between 2008 and 2014, include lists of targets for missiles that can carry both conventional warheads and tactical nuclear weapons. The revealed files show how Russia anticipated a potential conflict with NATO, planning for a series of strikes across western Europe, the FT writes.
The documents note that tactical nuclear weapons should be used "in combination with other means of destruction" to achieve Russia's goal and highlight the advantages of using nuclear strikes at the early stages of the conflict, according to the outlet.
Analysts and former officials told the FT that Russia's ability to launch attacks on Europe means that various targets across the continent would be at risk as soon as the Russian military clashed with NATO forces in front-line countries like the Baltic states and Poland.
"Their concept of war is total war," said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey who studies arms control, in a comment to the FT.
The Kremlin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and the West since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, but earlier this year, Russia carried out a series of drills to practice a tactical nuclear strike.
Daria is a newsroom intern at the Kyiv Independent. She is a Media and Communication BSc student at the University of Surrey, U.K. She also studied Journalism and Social Communications at Kyiv's National University of Taras Shevchenko. Daria previously worked as a freelance copywriter and volunteered at a local town newspaper in Guildford, U.K.
Elsa Court
