"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.
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.
A Russian Army T-14 Armata during Victory Day parade rehearsal in Alabino, Moscow Oblast, 2016. (Wikipedia)
Russia may be planning to deploy a few of its latest T-14 Armata battle tanks to Ukraine, but it would be "a high-risk decision," the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Jan. 19 in its daily intelligence update. Due to production problems, logistical challenges, and lack of trust, these tanks' deployment "will likely primarily be for propaganda purposes," reads the report.
Russia's T-14 Armata tanks were in development for 11 years with repeated delays, the planned volumes were eventually reduced, and there were other manufacturing problems, according to the ministry.
Probably only a few dozen tanks were finally produced, and the commanders "are unlikely to trust the vehicle in combat," it added.
"An additional challenge for Russia is adjusting its logistics chain to handle T-14 because it is larger and heavier than other Russian tanks," the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote.
In late December, imagery showed these tanks on training grounds in southern Russia, where the pre-deployment activities are reportedly taking place, the intelligence update reads.
Earlier, Russian state-controlled media reported that T-14 Armata tanks had been prepared for use in Ukraine, but it's unclear whether the tanks have been moved to the country yet.
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