"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.
France issued arrest warrant also for Telegram co-founder, Durov's brother Nikolai, Politico reports
France issued arrest warrants for Pavel Durov and Nikolai Durov, founders of the Telegram messaging service, already in March, Politico reported on Aug. 28, citing a document obtained from an undisclosed source involved in the case.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport on the outskirts of Paris on Aug. 24 after landing in his private jet. Born in St. Petersburg, Durov obtained French citizenship in 2021 but is believed to live in Dubai.
He faces 12 charges from the French authorities, including crimes related to child pornography, drug trafficking, money laundering, and withholding crucial information from investigators.
The document obtained by Politico showed that the French investigation into Telegram is more extensive and was launched several months earlier than previously thought. The French media reported earlier that the investigation was opened in July.
The case concerns the messaging platform's refusal to cooperate with a French police inquiry into child sexual abuse, according to Politico.
🇺🇦 Celebrating Independence Day with a store sale
The arrest warrants for the Durov brothers were issued on March 25 after Telegram "gave no answer" to a previous judicial request to identify a Telegram user, the media outlet wrote. The warrants were issued on charges including "complicity in possessing, distributing, offering or making available pornographic images of minors, in an organized group."
The document also notes "Telegram's almost non-existent cooperation" with both French and European authorities in other cases.
Nikolai Durov is a mathematician and programmer who was also a co-creator of the Russian VKontakte social network. He lives outside Russia, but his exact whereabouts are unknown, Politico reported.
Pavel Durov, who has a net worth estimated at $15.5 billion, left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on the Russian social media platform VK, which he subsequently sold.
Durov has claimed he is a pariah and has been effectively exiled from Russia, but on Aug. 27, it was reported he had visited Russia over 60 times since leaving the country, according to Kremlingram, a Ukrainian group that campaigns against the use of Telegram in Ukraine.
Telegram remains one of the most popular social media platforms among Ukrainians. A September 2023 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology indicated that 44% of Ukrainians use Telegram to receive information and news.
Telegram is also widely used by Ukrainian officials and various government institutions against the advice of Ukraine's TV and radio-broadcasting body.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
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