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.
"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.
Republican senator says ditching Ukraine would 'be worse than Afghanistan,' touts new Russia sanctions pitch

The U.S. cannot cut off aid to Ukraine while it fights against Russia, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on March 9.
The U.S. froze intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine soon after a heated argument broke out between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on Feb. 28. U.S. officials have suggested the pause is "temporary," without indicating when aid will resume.
"If we pull the plug on Ukraine, it'd be worse than Afghanistan. I don't think (Trump) has any desire to do that," Graham said in a television interview on March 9.
Until a ceasefire is reached, the U.S. must continue to assist Ukraine with military aid and intelligence sharing, the U.S. Senator continued.
"I am worried about cutting off intelligence and weapons to Ukraine as long as the fighting is going on," Graham said.

The U.S. senator added he will introduce legislation to sanction Russia's banking and energy sectors "next week" in a bid to bring Moscow to the negotiating table.
"If they don't engage in ceasefire and peace talks with the administration, we should sanction the hell out of them," Graham said.
Trump previously claimed he is considering imposing extensive tariffs and banking sanctions on Russia until a peace agreement is reached.
"Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large-scale banking sanctions, sanctions, and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire and final settlement agreement on peace is reached," Trump said on March 7.
Trump's administration has faced scrutiny for its mounting hostility towards Ukraine, a longstanding ally, alongside increasingly friendly attitudes toward Russia.

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