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.
Aircraft engines on display at the Motor Sich Aviation Museum in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on Friday, July 1, 2022. Zaporizhzhia Oblast Governor Oleksandr Starukh compared his home city to Mariupol, which until the invasion existed just 30 km from a front line set by a previous cease-fire, "We are too big for Russia, but if they can slice us like a salami then they will be back in eight years to fight again and Zaporizhzhia would become the next Mariupol." Photographer Julia Kochetova/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Oleksandr Bohuslayev, son of Motor Sich's former president Vyacheslav Bohuslayev, was detained in Monaco on fraud charges linked to a $650 million asset scheme, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on May 2.
Vyacheslav Bohuslayev, the former president of Motor Sich, Ukraine's leading aircraft engine manufacturer, is kept in custody since 2022 on charges of collaboration with Russia.
Investigators claim Oleksandr Bohuslayev helped his father illegally obtain shares in the strategic defense manufacturer, before selling them to third parties.
He faces up to 12 years in prison.
The scheme reportedly began before Russia's full-scale invasion when the then-president of Motor Sich organized a company asset inventory that artificially lowered the value of its shares.
He subsequently purchased 65% of these devalued shares and transferred most of them to six offshore entities owned by his son, authorities claim.
The suspects allegedly sold the misappropriated assets to foreign companies and used the proceeds to purchase luxury real estate across the European Union.
The arrest resulted from a joint operation between SBU, the Prosecutor General's Office, and law enforcement in Monaco and France.
The SBU reported that searches were conducted simultaneously at the coastal villa in Monaco and at properties belonging to affiliated individuals in Zaporizhzhia, where Motor Sich headquarters are located.
Former Motor Sich president Vyacheslav Bohuslayev was arrested in October 2022 and charged with working for Russia.
Bohuslayev and one of his deputies, Oleh Dzyuba, were accused of conspiring to supply engine parts for Russian helicopters. Bohuslayev maintains Russian citizenship.
The corporate rights of five major companies, including Motor Sich, were seized "for the needs of the state" and came under Defense Ministry management on Nov. 6, 2022.
Bohuslayev now faces additional criminal charges related to his son's fraud scheme, SBU says.
