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.
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.
Landfall pipes of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Russia on Sept. 23, 2021. (Nord Stream 2 / Nikolai Ryutin)
Matthias Warnig, a former spy and longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is reportedly lobbying the U.S. to support a potential restart of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the Financial Times reported on March 2, citing undisclosed sources.
Warnig, who led Nord Stream 2’s parent company on behalf of Kremlin-controlled gas giant Gazprom until 2023, is reportedly trying to establish contact with U.S. President Donald Trump's team through American businessmen.
His efforts come amid discussions on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and reestablishing economic ties between Washington and Moscow.
The Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea were built to supply natural gas from Russia to Europe.
The Nord Stream pipelines, fully owned by Russia, were co-financed by five European energy companies. In September 2022, three of the four Nord Stream pipelines were severely damaged in an apparent sabotage attack.
Warnig and Nord Stream 2 AG were placed under U.S. sanctions in 2022 by the administration of then-President Joe Biden. Any deal to revive the project would require Washington to lift these sanctions and for Germany to approve the resumption of Russian gas flows to Europe, according to the FT.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, expressed skepticism over the viability of such an agreement, warning that Berlin’s involvement in Nord Stream 2’s renewal could "cause huge rifts" with the EU, which maintains sanctions against Russia.
Several European officials aware of the backchannel talks "are concerned and have discussed the matter," the FT added.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Nate Ostiller
