"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.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrives in Kyiv on Oct. 21, 2024, welcomed by U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink. (Lloyd Austin/X)
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Kyiv on Oct. 21 as Ukraine hopes to secure further support ahead of the uncertain U.S. election.
"I'm back in Ukraine for the fourth time as Secretary of Defense, demonstrating that the United States, alongside the international community, continues to stand by Ukraine," the U.S. official said on X.
Austin's visit comes only a few days after U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Berlin to meet the leaders of the U.K., Germany, and France to discuss continued support for Ukraine and Kyiv's five-step victory plan.
The U.S. defense chief is expected to meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, to discuss Ukraine's battlefield needs. The visit will also serve as a chance to "step back" and assess the U.S.-Ukrainian relationship over the course of the full-scale war, CNN reported.
Ukraine finds itself in an increasingly difficult position. Despite Washington's support, Russian forces keep grinding on in the country's east while Ukraine braces for fresh strikes against the energy grid with the coming winter.
The situation may soon deteriorate further as the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5 can have a profound impact on Washington's support.
Former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump recently made critical comments toward Biden and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying they carry the blame for the outbreak of the full-scale war.
There are fears that if Trump beats his Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris, and returns to the White House, he might withdraw U.S. support for Ukraine and force the country toward painful concessions.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Dinara Khalilova
