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.
Illustrative purposes: A man walks with his bike in the heavily attacked village of Slatyne, Kharkiv Oblast, on April 16, 2024. (Wojciech Grzedzinski/Anadolu via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump hailed Ukraine's agreement to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire on March 11 as a significant step forward to a "total ceasefire."
Speaking to reporters at the White House following the announcements from Jeddah, Trump said the focus now shifts to Russia, urging President Vladimir Putin to accept the truce.
"Now we have to go to Russia and hopefully President Putin will agree to that also. And we can get this show on the road," he said. Trump added that if Russia refuses, the war will continue, leading to further loss of life.
Trump confirmed that U.S. officials would meet with Russian representatives in the coming days to discuss the ceasefire. He also indicated he expects to speak with Putin later this week, emphasizing, "It takes two to tango."
Senator Lindsey Graham also praised Ukraine's decision to back the ceasefire, applauding the Trump administration’s role in brokering the agreement.
I am very encouraged to hear that Ukraine has agreed to the United States’ proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Well done to the Trump Team.
I hope Russia will follow. If Russia refuses, we should sanction the hell out of them.
"I am very encouraged to hear that Ukraine has agreed to the United States’ proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. Well done to the Trump Team," he said. Graham also issued a stark warning: "I hope Russia will follow. If Russia refuses, we should sanction the hell out of them."
Graham vowed to introduce new congressional sanctions targeting Russia and nations that continue to buy Russian goods, including oil, gas, and uranium. "It is long overdue for Russia to feel overwhelming economic pain as a result of their brutal invasion of Ukraine," he said.
Trump also told reported that Zelensky is welcome back to the White House after their tense meeting in the Oval Office last month. The Feb. 28 meeting had ended in controversy after Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelensky, accusing him of being disrespectful when he questioned whether Putin could be trusted in negotiations.
The disagreement led to a heated exchange, and Zelensky left the White House abruptly, canceling a planned joint press conference with Trump and leaving a critical minerals agreement unsigned. Trump has since expressed mixed views on Ukraine’s priorities, ruling out its NATO membership and falsely suggesting that Ukraine started the war.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
