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."
Ukrainian soldiers repair drones in a laboratory at an undetermined location in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on Nov. 24, 2024. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ukrainian manufacturers have the capacity to produce over 5 million first-person-view (FPV) drones per year, presidential advisor Alexander Kamyshin said in an interview with Radio Khartia published on March 28.
Both Ukraine and Russia have increasingly relied on drone warfare, using aerial, naval, and ground-based drones for reconnaissance and combat missions.
"Now, one manufacturer can produce 4,000 such FPV drones per day," said Kamyshin, who previously served as the strategic industries minister.
"And that is just one manufacturer. There are more than 150 manufacturers in our country. Our capacity is to produce over 5 million FPV units per year."
Kamyshin said the lack of funding prevents Ukraine from producing drones at its full capacity. Last year, only 2 million drones were produced, he noted.
Kyiv's drone fleet is being reinforced by the international drone coalition, which recently allocated 20 million euros ($21.6 million) to procure tactical-level reconnaissance drones that will be delivered to Ukraine within three months.
Ukraine plans to purchase 4.5 million FPV drones this year as part of a large-scale effort to equip its military with advanced technologies, the Defense Ministry announced earlier this month.
Kyiv has also developed missile-drone hybrids, such as the Palianytsia and Peklo models, which feature turbojet engines as cost-effective alternatives to cruise missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered the production of at least 30,000 long-range drones in 2025.
Alex Cadier
