"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.
Transmission towers and power lines near a high-voltage electricity substation, operated by the state-owned company Ukrenergo, in central Ukraine, on March 1, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Emergency power outages were introduced temporarily in seven Ukrainian oblasts on Feb. 1 following a Russian missile attack to prevent the collapse the energy system.
The restrictions were applied in Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, according to Ukraine's state grid operator Ukrenergo.
Three hours later, Ukrenergo announced that restrictions were lifted across the country.
"The enemy continues its energy terror," said Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushenko in response to the attacks.
Earlier on Feb. 1, Poltava Regional Administration reported damage to energy infrastructure in the Myrhorod district.
Several hours later, the administration reported that the energy supply was restored in the district.
There have been two massive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure over the past month, as well as frequent smaller attacks, but because of the warm weather, the Ukrainian energy grid was able to operate without scheduled blackouts.
The outages on Feb. 1 was the second time this year when Ukraine had to introduce emergency power cuts across several oblasts due to the damage of the power system and threat of its collapse after the Russian attacks.
Natalia Yermak is a staff writer for the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a fixer-producer and contributing reporter for the New York Times since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. Previously, she worked in film production and documentary.
Natalia Yermak
