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.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a news conference in the Indian Treaty Room on the White House complex, in Washington, DC, US, on Dec. 12, 2023. (Al Drago / Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Feb. 18 that he had postponed his visit to Saudi Arabia amid talks between Russia and the United States.
"We were not invited to this Russian-American meeting in Saudi Arabia. It was a surprise for us. I don't want any coincidences, so I'm not going to Saudi Arabia," Zelensky said during a briefing following a meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
The talks in Saudi Arabia mark the first direct negotiations between the U.S. and Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion began. Russia's delegation, led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials.
Zelensky reiterated that no decisions about Ukraine's future can be made without Kyiv's involvement. He also said he expects U.S. officials to visit Ukraine, confirming that Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, will arrive in Kyiv on Feb. 19.
"Any country has a bilateral track with other countries. Please, you can discuss anything, but you can't make a decision on how to end the war in Ukraine without Ukraine," Zelensky said.
The president also announced that he had spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and rescheduled his visit to Riyadh for Mar. 10.
In a Feb. 17 interview with German media network ARD, Zelensky warned against a hastily negotiated peace deal and reaffirmed that Ukraine would not accept an agreement brokered without its participation.
It remains unclear to what extent Ukraine will be involved in future discussions between Washington and Moscow.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
