The Kremlin said the leaders held a detailed discussion about the Russian initiative and Erdogan expressed full support, reiterating Turkey’s readiness to provide a venue and assist in organizing the negotiations.
Erdogan told Macron that international cooperation is critical for initiating peace negotiations and the "sensitive implementation" of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction processes, the Turkish Presidency reported.
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."
A home targeted by Russian attacks in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, on March 15, 2025. (Dnipropetrovsk Prosecutors Office / Telegram)
Russia attacked the town of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast over a dozen times on March 15, killing one woman and injuring three people, including two children, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Two girls, aged 11 and 3 years old, were injured in the attacks, Lysak said. The children are being treated at a medical facility in Dnipro.
A 70-year-old woman was killed, according to Ukraine's General Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors have launched a war crimes investigation as a result of the civilian casualties.
Another woman, aged 57, also suffered injuries, but is receiving outpatient care, Lysak said.
Russia attacked Nikopol and the surrounding communities with artillery and drones on March 15, according to Lysak. The attacks damaged a religious institution, five homes, two outbuildings, 15 solar panels, a car, and a power line.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
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