Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"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.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk during a speech on June 6, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Andriy Zhyhaylo/Obozrevatel/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Adopting demobilization law now could repeat the "mistake" of the Ukrainian People's Republic during its war against the Bolsheviks in 1918, said Ruslan Stefanchuk, speaker of Ukraine's parliament, on national television on July 25.
Most Ukrainian soldiers cannot legally demobilize and have been serving without any long-term breaks for the third year in a row since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
"I do not know of a country that demobilized people during the war. Excuse me, I do know such a country – the Ukrainian People's Republic in 1918. At that time, Defense Minister Mykola Porsh submitted a draft law on demobilization to the Central Rada," Stefanchuk said.
"It is very important to me that the current Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) does not repeat the 'mistake' of the Central Rada."
The Central Rada was an analog of the parliament in the times of the short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic.
According to Vitalii Skalskyi, director of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Archival Affairs and Records Management, it is a common misconception that the Ukrainian People's Republic carried out demobilization of its regular army in January 1918, eventually leading to its defeat in the war with the Bolsheviks.
"They were absolutely incapable and had no burning desire to fight for Ukraine," Skalskyi told the Kyiv Independent.
Nonetheless, Stefanchuk said that the Ukrainian military on the front line "has an exclusive right to justice," which is why it is necessary to provide them with vacations, rotations, or other "privileges."
Stefanchuk believes these issues were partially resolved after the new law on mobilization was adopted in April.
Most Ukrainian soldiers cannot legally demobilize. The grounds for demobilization may include health problems or the need to care for sick family members.
In April, before the law on mobilization was voted on in the second reading, the provisions on demobilization and rotation were removed from it.
The Defense Ministry said that the parliamentary committee had instructed it to develop a new law within eight months that would deal specifically with rotation and demobilization.
The ministry later announced in April that it plans to submit the draft law to the parliament in "the next few months." It has not been introduced yet.
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.
Natalia Yermak
