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."
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.
The aftermath of a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, on April 28, 2023. (National Police/Telegram)
The death toll in Russian missile attack on Uman, Cherkasy Oblast, reached 20 people as of 5 p.m. on April 28, according to Ukraine's Interior Ministry.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service reported earlier in the day that three children were killed in the attack. Eighteen people were injured, nine of whom were hospitalized, according to the National Police.
The number of casualties is constantly updated as the rescue operation is ongoing.
Russia hit a 9-story apartment building in Uman in the early hours of April 28 during its yet another mass missile strike against Ukraine.
The attack partially destroyed the three upper floors of the building within one block and caused large fires, according to the first responders.
Earlier today, power grid operator Ukrenergo said the attack did not damage the country's energy infrastructure.
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Dinara Khalilova
