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.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
Illustrative purposes only: A Russian Air Force Sukhoi Su-34 fighter jet flying over the sky in the rebel-held town of Arbin in Syria, on Feb. 20, 2018. (Abdulmonam Eassa/AFP)
Russian air activity over Ukraine has reduced over the past week after the Russian military suffered significant aircraft losses, Yuri Ihnat, the Air Force's spokesperson, confirmed in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda on March 3.
Official reports indicate that 13 Russian warplanes were downed in February, with three Su-34 attack planes reportedly shot down on Feb. 29 alone.
The downed aircraft in February include 10 Su-34 fighter bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and one rare A-50 military spy plane.
Russia also lost two A-50 spy planes in January and February. After the second loss, Russia has likely halted flying such aircraft in support of military operations in Ukraine, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in its March 2 report.
Yet another Su-34 was downed on March 2 while reportedly trying to attack Ukrainian positions on the eastern front with guided aerial bombs, according to Ukraine's Air Force.
Ihnat attributed this success to air defense systems supplied by Ukraine's allies.
"The means of resistance provided to Ukraine by Western partners demonstrate their effectiveness. This is evidenced by the number of enemy aircraft shot down in February," Ihnat told Ukrainska Pravda.
"The current task is to secure the front-line territories from the enemy's use of guided aerial bombs."
Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk also wrote on his official Telegram channel on March 2 that although Russian drones remained active in the south the airspace over eastern Ukraine was clear.
Russia's total aircraft losses since the start of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022 include 347 aircraft and 325 helicopters, according to the March 3 update from the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Kateryna Denisova
