"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.
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.
Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the economic issues via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia on April 11, 2023. (Gavriil Grigorov / Sputnik / AFP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on April 21 expanding the country's "foreign agents" legislation to target individuals who support actions by international organizations or foreign governments deemed hostile to Russia, state-run RIA Novosti reported.
The law further tightens the Kremlin's control over dissent, broadening the scope of who can be branded a "foreign agent" — a designation carrying heavy financial reporting requirements, fines, and widespread social stigma.
Under the new rules, individuals can be labeled as "foreign agents" for assisting in implementing decisions made by international bodies in which Russia is not a participant or by foreign state institutions, if those actions are judged to threaten Russian security.
Those designated under the law are barred from engaging in educational and outreach activities, receiving municipal support, or obtaining status as socially oriented nonprofit organizations.
First introduced in 2012 and significantly expanded in 2022, Russia's foreign agents law has become one of Moscow's primary tools for suppressing criticism.
The legislation targets individuals and organizations that receive foreign funding and participate in vaguely defined "political activities."
Following the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has increasingly used censorship laws to stifle dissent, with thousands fined or imprisoned for speaking out against the war or spreading information not approved by the state.
The European Court of Human Rights has condemned the foreign agents law, calling it arbitrary, repressive, and incompatible with international human rights obligations.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Anna Fratsyvir
