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.
The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
Australian Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks to media on April 12, 2025 in Perth, Australia (Matt Jelonek/Getty Images)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed as "propaganda" an op-ed by Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov, amid concerns of Moscow increasing its military presence in the region.
In the op-ed published in The Jakarta Post on April 19, Tolchenov claimed that Australia lacks the geopolitical weight to counter Russian military manoeuvres in the Indo-Pacific.
Tolchenov's remarks appeared to reference unconfirmed reports of a potential Russian military base on Indonesia’s Biak Island, an area located strategically close to northern Australia around 1,360 kilometers away.
Despite Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles asserting there is "no prospect" of Russian aircraft being based in Indonesia, both Marles and Albanese have avoided confirming or denying whether Russia ever made such a request.
Indonesian officials have also not publicly denied that a request may have been submitted.
"It is hard to imagine that any ordinary Australians should be concerned about what is happening 1,300 kilometers from their territory, about matters that concern relations between other sovereign states and have nothing to do with Australia," Tolchenov said.
"Perhaps it would be better for them to pay attention to the United States’ Typhon medium-range missile system in the Philippines, which will definitely reach the territory of the continent?" he added.
Tolchenov said that Australia is trying to play the "Russian card" and show who is more "Russophobic," against the backdrop of upcoming Australian elections.
"I would like to remind them of the words of U.S. President Donald Trump, which he pronounced in the White House on Feb. 28, 2025, to the Ukrainian citizen 'Z' — 'You have no cards.'"
When again asked about reports of Russia's alleged request for a base in Indonesia at a press conference on April 21, Albanese criticized the opposition for amplifying Russian disinformation and said there is no credible prospect of such a base, thus there was no need for official briefings on the matter.
"I’m anti-Russia," he said, adding: "I’m not sure that everyone is on that page, but I think that Russia has very different values under an authoritarian leader."
"I have no wish to help promote Russia’s propaganda messages, and I would suggest that that is not in Australia’s national interest either," he added.
Australia has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion.
Australia is considering joining the European-led coalition of the willing to support a lasting ceasefire in Ukraine, a statement issued by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Stamer's office read on March 8.
Starmer announced on March 2 that a number of European nations, including the U.K. and France, are developing a 'coalition of the willing' that will include "planes in the air and boots on the ground" in an effort to secure a successful ceasefire in Ukraine.
Asami Terajima
