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.
U.S. Air Force F16 fighter jets fly in formation during U.S.-Philippines joint air force exercises dubbed Cope Thunder at Clark Air Base on May 9, 2023, in Mabalacat, Philippines. (Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Aug. 20 that he had arrived in the Netherlands to discuss F-16 fighter jets with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
“The main issue is F-16s for Ukraine to protect our people from Russian terror. We are getting stronger. The agenda also includes the Global Peace Summit, the Peace Formula, and bringing the terrorist state to justice,” Zelensky said in a Telegram post following his arrival in the Netherlands with his wife, Olena Zelenska.
The Netherlands and Denmark confirmed on Aug. 18 they had received approval from the U.S. to hand over F-16s from their arsenal to Ukraine after pilot training was completed.
Ukraine has been campaigning for U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to help counter Russia's air superiority, with many believing that it is necessary to achieve success on the battlefield.
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on Aug. 18 that Washington would approve the third-party transfer of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after Ukrainian pilots complete training. The U.S. is working closely with its EU countries on all training program elements, including manuals, Sullivan said.
On the same day, the Danish Defense Ministry said that training would start later in August in cooperation with the "fighter jet coalition," comprised of 11 NATO countries.
Romania is also on the list for training sessions organized by the coalition.
Ukrainian pilots, engineers, and technicians have already started a six-month training session on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on national television on Aug. 19.
Zelensky’s visit to the Netherlands follows his visit to Sweden, where he said Ukrainian pilots had begun test flights on Swedish Gripen fighter jets.
During the visit, Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson discussed the potential delivery of Gripens to Ukraine.
"We also talked about another strong Swedish machine, the Gripen aircraft. This is the pride of Sweden. And I am sure that Gripens can make our freedom much more secure," Zelensky said on Aug. 19.
Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.
The Kyiv Independent
