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.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Cargo ships and car ferries cross the Kerch Strait as the Crimea bridge is seen behind as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Crimea on July 25, 2023 (Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Families of senior officers in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet have left Crimea in recent weeks, the Ukrainian partisan group Atesh reported on April 20.
The group claimed that an internal directive was issued by Russian authorities in early April, mandating heightened security measures at military installations across Crimea.
This reportedly includes increased surveillance, covert patrols conducted by reservists in civilian clothing, and efforts to conceal military hardware. Additionally, all shore leave for Russian personnel stationed on the peninsula has reportedly been suspended.
"There is currently panic in the units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet," the group said in a post on Telegram.
The Kyiv Independent could not very the information.
Ukraine has repeatedly launched coordinated attacks on strategic Russian military targets in the occupied peninsula since the start of the full-scale war. In early April, Ukraine's military intelligence claimed to have struck two Russian military boats and an air defense system.
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting, suggested on April 13 that the potential delivery of long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine could enable strikes on high-value Russian military targets in occupied Crimea — including the strategically vital Kerch Bridge that links the peninsula to mainland Russia.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, and since then the peninsula has been used as a Russian military base.
The Atesh movement regularly conducts sabotage attacks in Russia and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.
On March 9, the group sabotaged a railway line linking parts of occupied Crimea with the front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, disrupting Russian supply lines.
They reported doing the same in Russia's Smolensk Oblast on March 23.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
