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.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid gives remarks at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 12, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Russia's alliance with Iran and related ties with Hamas are "unforgivable," said Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid in an interview with the Israeli newspaper Vesti published on Jan. 30.
Israel has largely avoided taking sides in Russia's war against Ukraine and has not provided any meaningful military aid to Ukraine. It has a long-standing relationship with Russia, complicated by the significant Russian diaspora in Israel.
There is also a large Ukrainian diaspora in Israel, and the two countries have a visa-free regime and other diplomatic ties.
Israel's relations with Russia have increasingly deteriorated since the beginning of the war with Hamas in October 2023. In a harsh critique of Israel's actions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Israel's bombing campaign against Hamas in Gaza goes against international humanitarian law.
Ukraine and Israel also share a common foe, Iran, which has supplied weapons to Russia and continues to fund Hamas and other militant groups battling Israel.
There has also been speculation that Russia was more directly linked to Hamas' attack on Israel in October 2023, which killed around 1,200 Israelis and launched the still ongoing war.
"It is clear that Russia needs Iran today more than ever," said Lapid, a former prime minister of Israel and the current head of the Israeli opposition.
"And the further (Russia commits to its war in Ukraine), the more it depends on the supply of Iranian weapons, thereby turning into a link in the axis of evil."
"States do not break off relations just like that, but they also do not forgive in the event of such an insult," Lapid said, referring to Russia's alliance with Iran.
"There is no doubt that the country's leadership must reconsider its position towards Russia," Lapid said.
"The things voiced by Lavrov and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, the way they unequivocally sided with Hamas, calling it a legitimate organization... Israel will find it difficult to forgive Russia and its leadership for the position they have taken for a very long time," he added.
Lapid acknowledged that some semblance of relations with Russia would need to be maintained for "strategic reasons" but said that the close ties previously seen between the two countries will not be seen again for some time.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Dinara Khalilova
