"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.
"Ukraine and all allies are ready for a complete unconditional ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea for at least 30 days, starting as early as Monday," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk in London, U.K., in November 2024. (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk has no interest in entering politics, he said in an interview with NV on Aug. 24.
"I won't leave boxing – it will always be with me. I will work in boxing, I will help boxing. It's a part of my life," Usyk said.
However, a career transition into politics would not be unprecedented in Ukraine. Vitalii Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, began his career as a professional boxer.
According to Usyk, politics is "when you sometimes have to say something you won't do" and he "can't reconcile it with (his) conscience."
At the same time, when asked where he saw himself in the next 10 years, the boxer expressed a readiness to potentially become the Youth and Sports Minister, saying that it was outside the realm of politics.
"It’s not a political position — it’s a managerial one. Such work is for sports and for the country. If the country needs it, I will work for it just as I am doing now. For me, politics means being a member of parliament," Usyk explained.
He also said that he could become the next president of the Boxing Federation of Ukraine someday.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
