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.
Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman attends the International Leadership Reunion in Moscow, Russia, on Sept.17, 2019. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
Hungary’s ambassador to the EU demanded that Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman be removed from the sanctions list, threatening to block the extension of EU sanctions imposed on about 2,000 Russians otherwise, the Financial Times reported on March 13, citing four officials familiar with the matter.
Hungarian leadership, broadly seen as the most Russian-friendly in the EU, has repeatedly obstructed and delayed the bloc's sanctions against Moscow and military aid for Ukraine.
The travel restrictions and asset freezes on politicians and businessmen who supported Russia's war against Ukraine will expire on March 15, unless all EU member countries decide to extend them for another six months.
The bloc's ambassadors are meeting in Brussels on March 13 after several days of talks that failed to reach a compromise, according to the Financial Times (FT).
Initially, Budapest sought a removal of eight names from the sanctions list, including Russian oligarchs Petr Aven and Alisher Usmanov, but finally focused on Fridman, the newspaper wrote.
Fridman and Aven were sanctioned by the EU on Feb. 28, 2022, for their ties to the Kremlin and support for Moscow's all-out war against Ukraine.
In April 2024, the EU’s General Court lifted sanctions against the two, ruling that the EU had failed to demonstrate their role in undermining Ukraine. However, subsequent EU decisions kept them on the sanctions list under a different justification, classifying them as "leading businesspersons providing substantial revenue" to Russia.
Ukraine's staunchest allies, such as the Baltic States, reportedly opposed any easing of EU sanctions against Moscow. Hungary's idea to remove Fridman from the sanctions list was backed by Luxembourg, three unnamed officials told FT.
Last year, Fridman filed a lawsuit against Luxembourg, where his stake in the London-based investment company LetterOne is located. The oligarch claimed $15.8 billion in sanctions-related damages.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Chris York
