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."
A Russian Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft flies over Moscow during a parade rehearsal in May, 2022. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
A drone strike at a military airfield in Pskov Oblast, Russia, destroyed four Il-76 aircraft on Aug. 30, Oblast Governor Mikhail Vedernikov and Russian state media claimed.
Vedernikov also announced that the airport will be closed for the remainder of Aug. 30. He said that flights will be canceled at the Pskov dual-use airport until possible damage to the runway has been assessed.
The Russian state news agency TASS said that four aircraft were damaged in the attack, and that a fire had broken out on the premises.
According to Russian media, two of the aircraft were "engulfed in flames."
Vedernikov said he was on the scene himself, and uploaded a video to his Telegram channel showing smoke and flames rising from the site.
No casualties were reported in the attack.
On Aug. 30, the airspace over Moscow and Tula Oblasts was also temporarily closed following reports of attempted drone strikes.
Reports of drone strikes on Russian territory have increased in recent weeks.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Alexander Khrebet
