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.
First responders work at the site of Russian drone attack in Kyiv overnight on May 4. (State Emergency Service / Telegram)
A wave of explosions was heard in Kyiv overnight on May 4 as Russia launched a drone attack against the capital, according to local authorities.
At least 11 people were injured in the attack, including two children aged 14 and 17, Kyiv City Military Administration head Tymur Tkachenko said via his official Telegram channel.
Debris from the drones damaged several houses and vehicles in various parts of the city, including the Shevchenkivskyi, Obolonskyi, and Svyatoshynskyi districts. In the Obolonskyi district, the Dream Town shopping mall was damaged, and at least seven cars and the top floors of a high-rise caught fire.
First responders have been dispatched to the sites of attack.
Russia stepped up its attacks against Ukrainian civilians in the past weeks, resulting in numerous casualties reported in Kryvyi Rih, Sumy, Odesa, Kharkiv, and Kyiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed a three-day ceasefire for Russia's Victory Day commemorations between May 7 and 9 — a proposal that President Volodymyr Zelensky has called a "theatrical performance," designed to ease Russia’s international isolation and create a favorable atmosphere for Moscow.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Anna Fratsyvir
