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.
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 graves of Eugenia Bazylevych, 43, and her three daughters Yaryna Bazylevych, 21, Daria Bazylevych, 18, Emilia Bazylevych, 6 at the Lychakiv Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine on September 14, 2024. (Oksana Parafeniuk/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Independent Russian media outlet Meduza and a German PR agency both apologized on Feb. 2 for a promotional campaign that featured photos of Ukrainian war victims.
The campaign used a photo of Yaroslav Bazylevych whose entire family was killed when a Russian missile hit their apartment building on Sept. 4 in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv.
His 7-year-old daughter Emilia, 18-year-old Daryna and 21-year-old Yaryna were killed together with his wife Yevhenia, 43, as they were making their way to a bomb shelter
Meduza used a photo from his family's funeral, as well as other pictures of Ukrainian war victims in a promotional video as part of the campaign, which has now been pulled.
Bazylevych told the Kyiv Independent on Feb. 1 that the images were used without his permission.
In its apology, Meduza claimed "the video was selected with care and in full compliance with legal requirements."
"Nevertheless, it included images of Ukrainians who had not given permission for their use. This was a mistake, and we deeply regret it," it added.
Bazylevych told the Kyiv Independent he considered the use of his photo "unacceptable."
Berlin-based Lure PR agency, which worked on the campaign with Meduza, also issued a public apology on Feb. 2, specifically mentioning the footage of Bazylevych in its campaign which provoked outrage from Ukrainians.
The PR agency claimed that their intention was to "stand in solidarity with Ukraine and support independent journalism that challenges Russian propaganda."
The ad campaign has been removed from the agency's website.
Yaroslav Bazylevych's photo from the funeral of his family, killed in a Russian strike, on the Lure agency's website that developed a promo campaign for a Russian media outlet Meduza. (Lure / Official website)
"We deeply regret that our approach caused distress, particularly regarding the inclusion of Yaroslav Bazylevych," Lure said in a statement released on their official Instagram.
"We have listened to concerns raised and, together with Meduza, have taken the campaign down. We remain committed to supporting those fighting for truth and justice against Russia's brutal war and propaganda machine."
Meduza says the ad campaign was developed pro-bono by Lure but has not otherwise disclosed who financed the launch of the campaign or where the funds originated from. When asked by the Kyiv Independent about the campaign’s funding, a Meduza spokesperson referred to the outlet’s public statement without further comment.
Meduza initially announced plans to expand the campaign across digital platforms, print media, and offline spaces in major cities, including events in Berlin, London, Paris, and New York.
The campaign was met with swift criticism in Ukraine, by both officials and the public.
"Exploiting our tragedy to evoke sympathy for Russians is a complete disgrace," said Ukraine's Foreign Ministry in a statement.
"We demand that all such promo content exploiting Ukrainian suffering caused by Russian terror be removed immediately from all media platforms where it has appeared," said Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi.
Founded in 2014, Meduza, an independent Russian news outlet headquartered in Latvia, was designated a "foreign agent" by Moscow in 2021.
The ad campaign was supposed to expand its reach among English-speaking audiences.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
