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."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends an EU-Western Balkans Summit meeting in the Europa, the EU Council headquarters on Dec. 18, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
Italy does not plan to participate in a peacekeeping force on the ground in eastern Ukraine to guarantee a potential ceasefire, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office said on March 15.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted an online summit of the "coalition of the willing" earlier on March 15. Attendees discussed how each nation could contribute to securing Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
Meloni attended the U.K.-led virtual summit on March 15 alongside 24 other nations at the multilateral event.
Italy does not have plans to participate in a peacekeeping force on the ground in Ukraine, a statement put out by Meloni's office following the meeting read.
Italy will continue to work with European and Western allies to "define credible and effective security guarantees" for Ukraine, the statement added.
Following the summit, Ukraine's allies reaffirmed their support for the embattled nation and condemned Russia for its war against Ukraine.
"Russia does not give the impression of a country that sincerely desires peace... It does not respond to the proposals of the United States and Ukraine. It intensifies hostilities. President Putin wants to get everything and then negotiate," French President Emmanuel Macron said.
While the U.K. and France have been the most vocal in supporting troops on the ground in Ukraine, leaders of other nations have expressed reservations about a military force.
"It is still too early to talk about putting troops on the ground because we don’t have a ceasefire, we don’t have a peace process... Once we have a clear plan, we start doing the commitments," Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on March 15.
Stubb affirmed Finland's support for Ukraine but in line with other nations bordering Russia such as Poland, Finland has sought to offer Ukraine security in other ways while retaining troops on its own territory.
In the face of the U.S. repeatedly ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine, Meloni said on March 6 that NATO could extend Article 5 protections to Ukraine without granting membership in the alliance.
"We need to think about more durable solutions" than just sending European peacekeepers to Ukraine, Meloni said on the sidelines of an EU leaders meeting in Brussels on March 6. "It’s a different thing than entering NATO, but it implies extending the coverage that NATO countries have also to Ukraine," she added.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Dmytro Basmat
