"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.
"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.
Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 23, 2024. (Oleh Tymoshenko / The Kyiv Independent)
Germany issued a travel advisory on Aug. 23, warning that Russia may intensify attacks against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Aug. 24, Ukraine's Independence Day.
The United States Embassy in Kyiv issued a similar warning on Aug. 21.
"Around Ukrainian Independence Day on Aug. 24, 2024, there may be increased rocket and aerial attacks on the urban centers, especially the capital Kyiv," Germany's Foreign Office said.
The statement urged German nationals to avoid traveling to Ukraine, or leave Ukraine if currently residing there, due to the heightened threat.
The U.S. warned of "an increased risk of both nighttime and daytime Russian drone and missile attacks" on Aug. 24 and cautioned residents to monitor local media, identify air raid shelters, and take shelter immediately in the event of an alert.
Ukraine celebrates Independence Day on Aug. 24, the day the country's Declaration of Independence was issued in 1991. The holiday has gained increased popular support and significance since Russia's invasion of Donbas in 2014.
Russia has been known to intensify drone and missile attacks against Ukraine during national holidays. Ukraine's 2023-2024 New Year celebrations were marked by a series of large-scale attacks against Kyiv and other cities.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Aug. 23 that the U.S. is planning to provide Ukraine with air defense missiles, counter-drone equipment, and anti-armor missiles, among other materiel, in a new military aid package on Independence Day.
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.
