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."
The aftermath of a Russian artillery strike against Nikopol, Ukraine, on April 17, 2025. (Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke for the Kyiv Independent)
Editor's note: The article contains graphic footage.
A Russian artillery attack against Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on April 17 killed two men aged 56 and 61 and injured five people, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Four of the injured victims have been hospitalized and are in serious condition, Lysak said.
The attack caused a fire to break out in the city. According to the governor, a shop, a cafe, several houses, outbuildings, cars, and a bus stop were damaged.
The aftermath of a Russian artillery strike against Nikopol, Ukraine, on April 17, 2025. (Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke for the Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian artillery strike against Nikopol, Ukraine, on April 17, 2025. (Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke for the Kyiv Independent)
Nikopol, located on the banks of the destroyed Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is a regular target of artillery and drone strikes.
At least five people were killed and almost 70 injured in Russian attacks against Ukraine over the past day, regional authorities reported in the morning of April 17.
This included three people killed, including a child, and 30 injured in an attack against the regional center of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Dnipro, on April 16.
The widespread attacks come amid continued Russian rejection of a full ceasefire agreement, previously backed by Kyiv, and follow recent intensification of strikes on civilian areas across Ukraine.
The aftermath of a Russian artillery strike against Nikopol, Ukraine, on April 17, 2025. (Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke for the Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian artillery strike against Nikopol, Ukraine, on April 17, 2025. (Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke for the Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian artillery strike against Nikopol, Ukraine, on April 17, 2025. (Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke for the Kyiv Independent)
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
