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.
Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's former president, attends the European People's Party congress in Bucharest, Romania, on March 6, 2024. (Andrei Pungovschi / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former President Petro Poroshenko called sanctions imposed against him by the Ukrainian government an "attack on freedom and democracy" in an interview with the German tabloid Bild published on March 18.
Poroshenko, head of the opposition European Solidarity party and Ukraine's president between 2014 and 2019, was among several politicians and oligarchs sanctioned by Kyiv in February. The media speculated that the sanctions against Poroshenko were connected to his high treason case.
The ex-president's assets have been frozen, and he says he is not allowed to leave the country.
"What is happening here is unconstitutional, it is illegal, there is no court decision," Poroshenko claimed in the interview.
When asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's accusations toward President Volodymyr Zelensky, Poroshenko responded, "If you ask me about a dictatorship, the answer is clear – the dictator is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin."
At the same time, Poroshenko accused Zelensky's team of "moving the country toward dictatorship" while denouncing the sanctions imposed against him.
Trump has falsely accused Zelensky of being a "dictator without elections" on account of not holding a presidential vote during wartime. Ukraine's Constitution prohibits elections under martial law, which was instituted at the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war in 2022.
Trump's public attack on Zelensky was followed by rumors that the U.S. president's team has been secretly in contact with Ukrainian opposition figures, including senior members of Poroshenko's party.
Poroshenko acknowledged only "public and transparent" contacts with U.S. partners and rejected the possibility of holding elections during martial law.
The businessman and owner of the confectionery manufacturing group Roshen was defeated by Zelensky by a landslide in the 2019 elections. Since then, the two have remained bitter political rivals, often resorting to verbal attacks.
One of the recent opinion polls showed Poroshenko's support at 10%, below ex-Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi (21%) and Zelensky (44%.)
Poroshenko was charged in 2021 with high treason and aiding terrorist organizations for allegedly conspiring with Russian-backed separatists between November 2014 and January 2015. The scheme reportedly generated over Hr 3 billion ($72 million) in profits from coal supplies.
If found guilty, Poroshenko could face 10 to 15 years in prison.
Speaking about the battlefield situation, Poroshenko said that Ukraine "must immediately stop losing people and immediately stop losing territory."
"Defending the territory is the top priority. Use fortifications, minefields, and the most modern anti-aircraft defenses against guided bombs," the ex-president added, saying that Ukraine should "forget the word 'offensive operation.'"
Ukraine has been resisting Russian onslaught across a more than 1,000-kilometer-long front for more than three years. Earlier this month, Ukraine lost significant positions in the Russian border region of Kursk, which it attacked last August.
Kateryna Denisova
