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.
Utility workers work close to a crater caused by a Russian missile attack on Jan 24, 2024. Russian forces shelled Kharkiv three times on Jan. 23. in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The death toll of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on Jan. 23 has risen to 11 as a 61-year-old woman died due to injuries in the hospital, the Kharkiv prosecutor’s office said on Jan. 26.
Russia’s mass missile attack on Jan. 23, targeting mainly Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Pavlohrad, has already killed 12 people and injured over 80, according to the latest numbers.
Emergency services cleared the debris of a five-story building in Khrakiv on Jan. 24.
Ten people were found dead, and approximately 30 victims of Russia’s strike were taken to the hospital. Two women and a man were in serious condition.
Russia began intensifying its attacks against Ukraine's cities and infrastructure as the temperatures dropped, echoing its strategy from last winter.
Kateryna Hodunova
