Ushakov’s comments follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's May 11 invitation for direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul starting May 15.
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Sunday, May 11
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.
Zelensky called a ceasefire the essential first step toward ending the war.
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"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."
"An unconditional ceasefire is not preceded by negotiations," French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters on May 11.
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."
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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.
Sunday, May 11
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"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 American-made weapons cannot be exported, even by a country that owns them, without approval from the U.S. government.
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.
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US State Department denies Russia formally indicated 'change' in nuclear-related communications
• 2 min read
Vedant Patel, the U.S. State Department principal deputy spokesperson, denied on March 29 that Russia had officially suspended all nuclear-related communications, CNN reported on March 29.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov announced the suspension of all nuclear-related communications between the two countries, with Russian state-controlled television adding that this included missile test launches.
U.S. officials were aware of the comments but did not receive any formal notification on the matter, Patel clarified.
However, the U.S. remains “concerned about Russia's reckless behavior" over the treaty, according to CNN's report.
Other than the "diplomatic countermeasure" taken by the U.S. to withhold a biannual data update, a State Department spokesman told CNN that the U.S. continues to "fully implement the New START treaty, including the central limits.”
The New START Treaty required Russia and the U.S. to conduct biannual data exchanges and maintain transparency in missile testing.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin suspended Russia's participation in the New START Treaty during his speech to the Federal Assembly on Feb. 21.
The U.S. and Russia signed the treaty in Prague in 2010. In addition to mandating an open line of communication between both countries, the agreement places limits on the size and composition of their nuclear arsenals.
New START was the sole remaining arms agreement between the U.S. and Russia.
Putin also threatened on March 25 to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus for military training after the U.K. announced that it would supply Ukraine with ammunition containing depleted uranium.
U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on March 28 that he was "concerned" about the threat, but there were not yet any indicators that Russia was going forward with it.
Ukraine war latest: Official says Avdiivka ‘being wiped off the face of the earth’
Key developments on March 28: * Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast “is being wiped off the face of the earth,” official says * Ukrainian military repels 24 Russian attacks in the east * Zelensky travels to Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast, marking the one-year anniversary of its liberation * Portugal delivers L…
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