"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.
The announcement follows mounting fears that the two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of engaging in another full-scale war.
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.
The visit marks Merz’s first trip to Ukraine, and the first time all four leaders have travelled there together.
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.
"As in the past, it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace," the EU's statement reads.
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."
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
'No unit named Georgian Legion' in our agency — Ukraine's military intelligence hits back at Slovakia's coup accusations
Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) dismissed claims by Slovak officials that HUR had orchestrated an attempted coup in Bratislava using members of the volunteer-based Georgian Legion.
"The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine officially reports that there is no unit called the Georgian National Legion in its structure," the agency said in a statement on Feb. 1.
The statement comes after Slovakia banned Georgian Legion commander Mamuka Mamulashvili from entering the country amid allegations that his unit was connected to a coup plot.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico claimed on Jan. 31 Mamulashvili helped organize mass protests in Slovakia on behalf of Ukraine as part of a hybrid operation against his government. He did not explain how Mamulashvili organized the demonstrations or plotted a coup but said the commander was "subordinate" to HUR.
Fico also claimed that the Peace for Ukraine initiative, a group that has helped mobilize the recent protests, had financed the Georgian Legion's attempts to overthrow the government.
HUR "strongly rejects false accusations of organizing illegal actions in the Slovak Republic," the agency's statement said.
Mamulashvili "has no relation to Ukrainian intelligence, and does not receive any tasks or instructions from the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine. This person terminated his contract with the International Legion of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine in April 2023 and did not renew it," HUR said.
The Georgian Legion is a volunteer unit that has been fighting in Ukraine since 2014. Mamulashvili established the unit to combat Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.
Fico's accusations come at a time of heightened tensions between Kyiv and Bratislava. The termination of Russian gas transit via Ukrainian territory on Jan. 1 triggered retaliatory threats from Fico's Kremlin-friendly government, and Fico has reportedly criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky for supporting the protests in Slovakia.
The demonstrations, held under the slogan "Slovakia is Europe," swept across 30 cities on Jan. 24. Around 100,000 people nationwide chanted slogans like "Enough of Fico" and "We are Europe," voicing opposition to the prime minister's pro-Russian stance.
Natalia Yermak
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