"If they speak to each other in Russian, he doesn't know what they are saying," one Western official told NBC News. ichael 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.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
Chinese aerospace company Skyrizon filed a lawsuit against Ukraine and demands $4.5 billion over its scuttled attempt to take over Ukraine's Motor Sich, an advanced military aircraft engine manufacturer. (Motor Sich/Facebook)
China’s aerospace firm Skyrizon is taking the Ukrainian government to an international tribunal, demanding $4.5 billion in compensation over the failed purchase of Motor Sich, an advanced aircraft engine manufacturer based in the regional capital of Zaporizhia.
Beijing Skyrizon Aviation explained in the statement on its WeChat account on Nov. 29 that its Chinese investors have experienced significant losses due to unfair treatment and implementation of illegal measures in Ukraine for the past five years.
The company said a group of Chinese investors including Skyrizon’s founder Wang Jing filed a lawsuit against Ukraine in the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Skyrizon, which has sought to acquire a controlling stake in Motor Sich, accused the Ukrainian government of violating the agreement signed to protect two-way investment between Kyiv and Beijing in 1992.
The Chinese firm vowed that it will use “all possible legal weapons to resolutely defend our legitimate rights and interests.”
The arbitration request comes months after the Ukrainian government seized the assets and all the shares of Motor Sich in March, transferring the firm to state ownership for national security reasons.
Ukraine yielded to pressure from Washington, as China’s rapid military modernization during the last two decades has been a growing concern for policymakers in the United States.
The Ukrainian government kicked Skyrizon out of Motor Sich without returning the hundreds of millions of dollars that the Chinese firm had invested.
In January, former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration said it blacklisted Skyrizon over its efforts to gain foreign military technologies.
Days later, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an order to impose sanctions on the Chinese company, restricting its trade operations and preventing it from transferring its capital outside the country.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
