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.
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.
US President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky meet in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 28, 2025. (SAUL LOEB / Getty Images)
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the latest details.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 28, after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, that Zelensky "is not ready for peace."
"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for peace," Trump posted on Truth Social shortly after the meeting.
Zelensky has since left the White House, according to Reuters.
Trump said his meeting with Zelensky at the White House was meaningful and revealed things that "could never be understood without conversation under such fire and pressure."
He also claimed that Zelensky was "not ready for peace if America is involved" because he believed U.S. support gave him an advantage in negotiations.
"I don't want advantage, I want peace," Trump added.
The two leaders held a 45-minute press briefing in the Oval Office, which ended in a heated exchange over American aid to Ukraine and the conditions of a potential peace deal with Russia.
The dispute began when Zelensky responded to U.S. Vice President JD Vance's assertion that Ukraine must accept U.S.-proposed peace terms.
As Zelensky attempted to make his case, Trump interrupted: "You've done a lot of talking."
Zelensky pushed back, saying, "From the start of the war, we were alone."
Trump countered: "If you didn't have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks."
Zelensky's visit was preceded by weeks of tense negotiations as Ukraine rejected the initial two draft proposals, presenting them as one-sided obligations for Ukraine without any security commitments on Washington's side.
The long-debated agreement establishes a fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of proceeds from the future monetization of state-owned mineral resources, including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.
Zelensky's reluctance to pen the initial draft, presented to him by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv on Feb. 12, prompted Trump to publicly lash out against the Ukrainian president.
Last week, Trump denounced Ukraine's head of state as a "dictator," accusing him of refusing to hold elections while echoing the Kremlin's false narratives about Zelensky's illegitimacy.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Oleksiy Sorokin
