"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."
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.
A warning sign that says "Danger! Mines!" placed near destroyed houses during a demining operation in the village of Hrakove, Kharkiv Oblast, on April 18, 2023. (Sergey Bobok/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine will launch a state register for areas contaminated with explosives, according to a report from the Economy Ministry.
"The creation of this register is a crucial step in humanitarian demining. Its implementation will automate and expedite several processes. For instance, the register will enable near real-time monitoring of demining activities and facilitate more effective planning of future efforts," Deputy Economy Minister Ihor Bezkaravainyi said in a statement.
"Farmers will benefit by easily obtaining information on whether their lands are contaminated or cleared," Bezkaravainyi added. The official noted that the information in the register will be vital for investors and projects aimed at Ukraine's restoration.
Ukrainian officials have reported that nearly a third of Ukraine's land, totaling around 174,000 square kilometers, has been mined since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Deep minefields between Ukrainian troops and entrenched Russian positions Ukraine played a significant role in halting the 2023 counteroffensive and preventing the liberation of occupied territories.
Ukraine has received over $700 million for humanitarian demining projects for 2022-2027 from international partners, the Economy Ministry announced on April 4.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
