"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power.”
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"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.
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.
Friedrich Merz, CDU Federal Chairman and CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, sits at the Bundestag during the ARD summer interview in Berlin, Germany, on July 14, 2024. (Michael Kappeler/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, said on July 14 that Berlin should supply combat aircraft to Kyiv in order for Ukraine to regain control of its airspace, German media reported.
Germany is the second-largest military donor to Ukraine after the United States, but German Chancellor Olaf Scholz remains reluctant to supply some key capabilities, including F-16 fighter jets.
"I believe that we should help Ukraine to at least restore sovereignty over its own airspace," Merz said in an ARD TV broadcast, as reported by Deutsche Welle (DW).
Merz said more aid was necessary in light of Russia's increased missile attacks against Ukraine. A recent mass missile strike on July 8 killed at least 41 people and injured around 200 others in Kyiv and other cities across the country.
"(T)hese missile attacks, which are happening more and more now, on infrastructure, on electricity and water supply facilities, on hospitals and homes for the elderly, cannot be taken under control only from the ground," Merz said.
Mertz noted that other EU nations have pledged to send Kyiv fighter jets to bolster Ukrainian air defense. Shipments of F-16s from Denmark and the Netherlands are reportedly already en route to Ukraine.
"We Germans cannot stand aside," Merz said.
Merz has previously supported proposals to send German long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, though the Bundestag voted down the motion.
Kyiv is expected to receive at least 79 F-16s from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Norway. Sweden is reportedly considering providing Ukraine with Gripen fighter jets after the F-16 program is complete.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Chris York
