"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.
Donald Trump, during a campaign rally at Riverfront Sports, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. on Oct. 9, 2024. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Some 89% of Ukrainians do not trust U.S. President Donald Trump, a survey by the New Europe Center published on April 29 showed.
Only 7.4% trust, or rather trust the American leader, as opposed to 89% who do not trust him, according to the poll. In November, 47.2% of Ukrainians didn't trust Trump, according to the New Europe Center, a figure that has almost doubled over the past five months.
During his 2024 election campaign, Trump repeatedly pledged to end Russia’s war against Ukraine. While his administration has made efforts to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table, progress has been limited. Trump's team has pressured Kyiv to make concessions to Russia, without applying visible pressure on Moscow to halt its aggression.
The New Europe Center surveyed 1,000 Ukrainians from April 10 to 24.
The poll was published on the eve of Trump's 100th day in office during his second term in the White House.
At the beginning of his second term, Trump pledged to end Russia's war in Ukraine in 100 days, but he failed to do so. Trump has increasingly voiced frustration with both Ukraine and Russia over the past weeks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on April 27 that the coming week would be decisive for Washington's future involvement in the peace process, even as Kyiv warns about "dangerous" repercussions of the U.S.'s exit.
European and Ukrainian officials are now convinced that Trump will seek to portray any kind of breakthrough as a justification to walk away, even without achieving a stable and lasting deal, the Financial Times reported.
The U.S. has been Kyiv's leading military supporter throughout the full-scale war, though Trump hasn't approved any new aid package. A possible exit from the peace efforts raises concerns that the U.S. might also cease all backing for Ukraine, including intelligence support.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Andrea Januta
