Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
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."
A sign that reads “Caution: mines” is taped on a beach on May 27, 2022, in Odesa, Ukraine. (Yevhen Zinchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Japan’s foreign minister announced a collaborative initiative with Cambodia on July 6 to share land mine removal knowledge and technology with countries worldwide, including Ukraine.
During a visit to the Cambodian Mine Action Center, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa highlighted the center's origins in the 1990s, following Cambodia’s prolonged civil war, and its mission to address an estimated four to six million land mines and unexploded ordnance scattered across the country.
"Cambodia, which has steadily advanced mine removal within its own country, is now a leader in mine action around the world," Kamikawa remarked, according to the Associated Press.
Cambodian deminers, recognized as some of the world’s most experienced, have been deployed over the past decade under U.N. auspices to Africa and the Middle East. In 2022, Cambodia began training Ukrainian deminers, as Ukraine faces a high density of land mines and unexploded munitions due to the ongoing Russian aggression.
In its 2022 report, the NGO Landmine Monitor identified both Cambodia and Ukraine as being among nine countries with "massive" mine contamination, each having over 100 square kilometers (38.6 square miles) of uncleared land.
Since 2022, approximately 174,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land have been contaminated with explosives, making 144,000 square kilometers potentially dangerous.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry specialists have cleared 30,000 square kilometers of Ukraine over the past two years - an area comparable to the size of Belgium or Moldova.
Several countries, including Cambodia, Colombia, Sweden, and Denmark have extended their support to Ukraine by assisting in demining efforts, offering training, and providing essential equipment.
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.
Chris York
