"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 Ukrainian robot performs battlefield functions. The Defense Ministry reported May 10 that nine such robots have been put into operation since the start of 2024. (Defense Ministry / Telegram)
Nine land-based Ukrainian robotic complexes have been put into operation since the beginning of the year, the Defense Ministry announced on May 10.
The robots perform a variety of battlefield functions, minimizing risks to Ukrainian troops, the ministry said. Tasks include combat with machine guns, demining, and evacuating wounded soldiers.
"Many domestic manufacturers are currently focused on the production of robotic systems in order to increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and save the lives of our soldiers," said Defense Ministry representative Colonel Volodymyr Rochniak.
"Only since the beginning of 2024, nine land-based robotic complexes created by Ukrainian gunsmiths have been codified."
Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on March 12 that Ukraine plans to mass-produce unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in order to reduce human involvement on the front lines.
These mobile robots will be capable of mining, demining, operating attack drones, evacuating wounded soldiers, and transporting ammunition.
Ukraine faces a personnel crisis on the battlefield as the nation struggles to mobilize new conscripts. In April, the parliament passed a bill updating the rules on mobilization to help replenish the Armed Forces' ranks.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
