"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.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2024 in Antalya, Turkey, on March 1, 2024. (Mert Gokhan Koc/ dia images via Getty Images)
Russia insists on the international recognition of its hold over Crimea, as well as the entirety of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, as a condition for peace negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Brazilian news outlet O Globo published on April 28.
This demand, reinforced last week by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, underscores how Russia continues to push its maximalist demands despite the U.S. efforts to broker a peace deal.
Russia illegally declared the four Ukrainian oblasts as annexed in 2022 following widely condemned sham referenda, but it does not fully control the territories. Crimea, occupied by Russia since 2014, was also included in Moscow’s territorial claims.
The U.S. is reportedly considering a de jure recognition of Russia's control over Crimea as part of a potential peace deal and de facto control over other occupied territories. At the same time, U.S. officials are said to have rejected a demand for Ukraine's complete withdrawal from the other four regions.
Asked about Russia's conditions to enter peace talks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also named a ban on Ukraine's entry into NATO, the country's demilitarization, and changes to Ukraine's legislation that would restore the position of the Russian language, culture, and religious organizations.
These conditions are effectively the same as the initial demands raised by Moscow at the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Lavrov also said that Ukraine's ban on direct negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin must be lifted. Previously, the Kremlin said that Putin would be ready to enter talks with Kyiv without "any preconditions" once this restriction was removed, seemingly contradicting Lavrov's later statements.
Ukraine has ruled out ceding its territory as part of any peace agreement, and both Kyiv and its allies have rejected demands for a reduction of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
"All of Kyiv's commitments must be legally guaranteed, have enforcement mechanisms, and be permanent," Lavrov said, adding that Russia also demands the lifting of Western sanctions, the abolition of international lawsuits and arrest warrants against Russian officials, and the return of frozen Russian assets.
Western governments have already begun using money linked to those assets to support Ukraine. In October 2024, the Group of Seven (G7) approved nearly $50 billion in loans for Kyiv, to be repaid using interest earned on frozen Russian funds.
Additionally, Lavrov said Moscow would demand "reliable security guarantees" from NATO, the European Union, and their member states against supposed future threats on Russia’s western borders.
Lavrov said Russia remains open to negotiations but claimed "the ball is not on our side," accusing Kyiv of lacking "political will for peace." He also said that the U.S. "has begun to better understand" Russia's positions, hinting at the foreign policy shift brought about by U.S. President Donald Trump.
It has been more than 45 days since Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire first introduced in March. Moscow rejected the plan, demanding a complete halt to Western military aid to Ukraine.
Despite claiming to support de-escalation, Russia has continued offensive operations along the front lines. Moscow has also intensified its attacks on civilian infrastructure, most recently killing 13 people in an attack on Kyiv on April 24.
Meanwhile, a separate partial ceasefire covering Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, brokered during talks in Saudi Arabia in late March, has also been repeatedly violated.
According to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, Russia has breached the energy truce more than 30 times since it came into effect on March 25, targeting critical power infrastructure across the country.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Olena Goncharova
