"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.
The announcement follows mounting fears that the two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of engaging in another full-scale war.
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.
The visit marks Merz’s first trip to Ukraine, and the first time all four leaders have travelled there together.
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.
"As in the past, it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace," the EU's statement reads.
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."
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Director of popular Ukrainian online casino detained over company ties to Russia
Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) has detained the director of popular online casino Pin-Up over its alleged Russian ownership and business in Russia, the agency announced in a press release on Feb. 14.
An ongoing investigation into the company earlier found that its real owners were Russian citizens. The owners allegedly collected personal data and information about the location of Pin-Up’s users, including Ukrainian military personnel.
In early December, the SBI announced that it suspected the beneficial owners and top managers of Pin-Up of collaborating with Russia.
According to Ukrainian law adopted in response to Russia's full-scale invasion, companies owned by Russia or Russian citizens can no longer operate in Ukraine and are subject to sanctions or confiscation by the state.
The SBI did not name the director in its press release, but said he is being detained on suspicions of “aiding the aggressor state.”
According to Ukrainian monitoring service Opendatabot, Pin-Up Ukraine is owned by a company called Ukr Game Technology, and Oleksii Popenko serves as its director.
During the investigation, Pin-Up was found to have ties to both representatives of Russia and entities subject to sanctions in Ukraine, and continued allowing access to its site in Russia, and in Russian-occupied territories.
The SBI also said that a “person who controls the online casino’s work” has been financing an organization that helped Russian veterans who fought in Ukraine after the start of the full-scale war.
In May, the Pecherskyi Court in Kyiv seized the accounts of Pin-Up's online casino. It later approved the transfer of over Hr 2.6 billion ($62.5 million) of the company's seized assets to Ukraine's Asset Recovery and Management Agency.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and other involved parties are being identified, the SBI said in its Feb. 14 press release.
Gambling was officially banned in Ukraine in 2009 until its legalization in 2020.
The negative impacts of gambling, especially on the Ukrainian soldiers, became a topic of public discussion in the spring of 2024 as a petition demanding restrictions on online gambling reached the president's table in March.
On April 20, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree restricting online gambling and banning it for military personnel during martial law.
Kateryna Hodunova
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