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.
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.
The launcher of a Patriot air defense system on Oct. 14, 2020, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. (Thomas Frey/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Spain and Greece are under pressure to provide more air defenses to Ukraine ahead of a meeting of the EU's foreign and defense ministers in Luxembourg on April 22, the Financial Times (FT) wrote, citing official sources.
Both countries have large numbers of the systems badly needed by Kyiv to protect its cities across the country from escalating Russian attacks.
"Patriots can only be called air defense systems if they work and save lives rather than standing immobile somewhere in storage bases," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 21.
A senior EU official taking part in the meeting told the FT that member states are expected to "step forward" to provide Ukraine with what it needs.
"European leaders personally urged Spanish and Greek prime ministers Pedro Sanchez and Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a summit in Brussels last week to donate air defense systems to Ukraine, according to people briefed on the discussions," the FT writes.
"The two leaders, whose armed forces possess between them more than a dozen Patriot systems plus others such as S-300s, were told that their needs were not as great as Ukraine's and that they did not face any imminent threats."
Escalating Russian strikes and resulting civilian casualties underscore Ukraine's dire need for additional air defenses, and while the potential passing of the U.S. aid bill should alleviate some of the need, Zelensky told an online session of the NATO-Ukraine Council on April 19 that European countries can still do more.
Following the council meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the allies have pledged to provide Ukraine with additional air defense systems.
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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko
Zelensky noted that Ukraine needs a minimum of seven Patriot systems, which would "save many lives."
"This year cannot be just a year of further discussions. Everything is quite specific now. Ukraine needs air defense, and the partners can help with it," the president added.
Germany was one of the first to heed Ukraine's call and pledged an additional Patriot air defense system, along with ammunition.
Earlier on Apr 19, the Netherlands said it had allocated around $210 million for air defense and artillery ammunition for Kyiv.
"I am grateful to everyone who is with Ukraine, with our people and with our defense now," Zelensky said.
"Please, take care of your neighbors when it's needed. Take care of our Ukraine and spread the truth in the world by all means. The truth is that the world can do it."
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Kateryna Denisova
