"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 Patriot anti-aircraft missile system launcher stands at the air base on June 17, 2023, in Bavaria, Germany. (Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Ukraine has air defense systems that are capable of shooting down the Russian 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile, Air Force spokesperson Illia Yevlash said on March 27.
His statement came after claims that Russian troops had used Zircon missiles in a March 25 attack on Kyiv, injuring at least two people. The researchers continue to examine the debris to determine what type of missile was launched.
The speed of the Zircon missile is approximately 8-9 Mach or about 10,000 kilometers per hour. When it enters the strike trajectory, its speed drops to about Mach 4.5, according to Yevlash.
"At this moment, we can use our anti-ballistic systems. These are SAMP/T, Patriot, which can inflict powerful damage and shoot down even such weapons," the spokesperson said.
Yevlash did not rule out that Russia could test Ukraine's air defense system by using Zircon, or its use could indicate a shortage of other Russian missiles.
Russia reportedly attacked Ukraine with a 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion on Feb. 7, killing at least five and injuring over 50 people.
Moscow earlier said the Zircon hypersonic missile entered the arsenal of the Russian military in early 2023, claiming that it has a range of 600–1,500 kilometers, can travel at nine times the speed of sound, and has a warhead weighing about 300-400 kilograms.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Kateryna Hodunova
