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."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
Petro Poroshenko speaks during the protest in Kyiv, Ukraine on Dec. 12, 2019.
Ukrainians attend a warning protest at the Independence Square called Red Line for Ze (nickname of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky) ahead of the Normandy Format summit meeting. (Pavlo Gonchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ex-President Petro Poroshenko's team works "publicly and transparently" with U.S. partners to ensure bipartisan support for Ukraine, Poroshenko said on March 6, reiterating his opposition to elections during the war.
His comments came in reaction to Politico's article, which claimed that U.S. President Donald Trump's team has been leading secret talks with Poroshenko and another opposition leader, Yuliia Tymoshenko, as Washington ramps up pressure against President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Tymoshenko also reacted to the story, saying that her party, Batkivshchyna, is negotiating with "our allies who can help secure a just and peaceful solution as soon as possible. " She reaffirmed that elections are possible only after the war ends.
Trump's push for a quick settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war saw him adopt Moscow-aligned positions while pressuring Kyiv by cutting off crucial military aid and intelligence sharing. In recent weeks, the White House has echoed the Kremlin's false narrative about Zelensky's illegitimacy, referring to the fact that Ukraine did not hold elections last year.
The Ukrainian Constitution does not permit elections under martial law, and critics pointed out difficulties in organizing elections during an all-out war, such as the possibility of voting for front-line soldiers and refugees.
According to Ukraine's former president, his team's talks with U.S. partners focused on security and a peace through strength approach, including the provision of weapons, intelligence, sanctions, and transatlantic unity.
At the same time, Poroshenko criticized the supposed lack of communication between Zelensky's team and the U.S. government.
"Ukraine — and President Zelensky said this clearly — is ready for talks to end the war under strong leadership of President Trump," Tymoshenko said on Facebook.
According to Politico, senior members of Poroshenko's European Solidarity party and Tymoshenko have been in contact with four members of Trump's team. The two opposition leaders reportedly tried to position themselves as more flexible partners for the U.S. than Zelensky.
Trump falsely claimed last month that Zelensky's approval rating has dropped to 4%. While Zelensky's popularity was steadily declining throughout 2024, the mounting pressure from Washington seemed to have boosted his support.
According to a survey by the British pollster Survation, carried out between Feb. 25 and 27, Zelensky leads in the polls with 44%. He is followed by former Commander-in-Chief and Ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluhnyi — who has not publicly confirmed presidential ambitions — at 21%.
Poroshenko came third with 10%, while Tymoshenko scored only 6%, signalling slim chances of beating Zelensky in the election.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Martin Fornusek
