"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.
U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged in private that Russia is difficult to negotiate with because they "want the whole thing," referring to Ukraine, the WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the comments.
A notice about the airspace closure was published on the U.S. Defense Department's NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) website on May 10, as cited by Ukrainian defense news outlet Militarnyi.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"We have a plan B and a plan C. But our focus is plan A, the essence of which is to get everyone's support" for Ukraine's accession, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
"(T)he presence at the Victory Parade of a country that bombs cities, hospitals, and daycares, and which has caused the deaths and injuries of over a million people over three years, is a shame," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
"According to the participants of the performances, their goal is to remind the civilized world of the barbaric actions of Moscow, which for many years and decades has systematically violated international law," a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.
"I have great hope that an agreement for a ceasefire in Ukraine will be reached this weekend," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on May 9, shortly before traveling to Kyiv alongside the leaders of France, Poland, and the U.K.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will arrive in Kyiv early on May 10.
A protester holds a 'Budapest Memorandum 1994' placard with the colors of the Ukrainian flag during the demonstration in Trafalgar Square in London, UK on March 3, 2022. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
About 73% of Ukrainians supported the idea of Ukraine restoring its nuclear weapons, while 20% spoke against it, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology on Dec. 23.
The poll was conducted around the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Budapest Memorandum, under which Ukraine gave up its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal in exchange for international security guarantees.
Around half of the respondents said they would support the development of nuclear weapons even at the price of losing Western aid and coming under sanctions.
Despite discussions in the media, Kyiv affirmed its adherence to the nuclear non-proliferation policy and said it has no plans of building nuclear weapons, calling for NATO membership as the only viable security guarantee.
The pollsters noted that in 1994 only one-third of Ukrainians supported the idea of their state retaining a nuclear arsenal.
"In the minds of Ukrainians, nuclear weapons are one of the options 'on the table,'" said Anton Hrushetskyi, the institute's executive director.
"We hope that our Western allies will demonstrate the necessary will and Ukraine will eventually receive effective security guarantees, without the need for Ukraine to consider other difficult solutions for itself, how to protect itself from Russia."
The survey was carried out between Dec. 2 and 17 with 2,000 respondents via phone living in Ukraine-controlled territories.
Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.
