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.
"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.
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stands by a memorial wall honoring Ukrainian soldiers during his first diplomatic to Kyiv alongside Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp on July 7, 2024. (Ruben Brekelmans via X)
The Netherlands's Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp and Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans met with President Volodymyr Zelensky during their first diplomatic visit to Ukraine, announcing additional aid for Ukraine human rights investigations and missing persons forensics on July 7.
"My first working visit as the Netherlands' Foreign Minister, with a crucial purpose: to underline our unwavering support for Ukraine," Veldkamp wrote in a post on X. "This is of existential importance — the Russian aggression and destruction knows no limits."
During the visit, Veldkamp announced on X his government was providing 2 million euros ($2.2 million) to the International Commission on Missing Persons "to scale up Ukraine's capacity for forensic research, data collection, and analysis."
Another 8 million euros over two years ($8.8 million) in support will be directed to the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine for fact-finding activities, Veldkamp added.
"Their credible reports on human rights violations in Ukraine, directly from war-torn communities, are crucial for global accountability efforts, led by (the Netherlands)," he said.
In April, Ukraine's Chief Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said Ukraine registers almost 37,000 people who are considered missing, including children, other civilians, and military personnel.
As of March 2024, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office had collected pretrial information on over 128,000 victims of war crimes.
The visit to Ukraine was part of an event marking Ukraine's Navy Day, in which a delegation of foreign and Ukrainian officials accompanied Zelensky to Odesa to honor sailors who were killed.
Brekelmans also described visiting the Trypillia power plant near Kyiv which was destroyed by Russian missiles, laying a wreath at a memorial wall for soldiers in Kyiv, and meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Serhiy Boyev.
After the Netherlands swore in a new coalition government on July 2, Brekelmans announced that his country's support for Ukraine would continue "for as long as needed."
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Kateryna Hodunova
