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.
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."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the press conference after his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, Poland on November 13, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NATO Chief Mark Rutte said on Jan. 23 that Russian President Vladimir Putin has no authority to influence NATO's future membership decisions.
“We must clearly understand that Vladimir Putin has no veto power and no say over who will join NATO in the future. Unless, of course, he himself wants to join NATO, but I don't think he wants that,” Rutte said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He emphasized that Ukraine's full NATO membership is the best guarantee for lasting peace.
“Whatever the outcome, it must be clear that peace is sustainable… when they (negotiations) end, we must be confident that the peace we collectively supported will be enduring and will never be questioned again,” he said.
Rutte also highlighted the need to avoid repeating the failures of the Minsk agreements and stressed the importance of ensuring Ukraine is in the strongest possible position before any future negotiations with Russia.
Earlier in the day, Rutte called on the United States to continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, pledging that Europe will shoulder the financial burden.
Nearly 3,000 representatives from over 130 countries, including 60 heads of state and government, 900 CEOs of the world’s leading companies, and forum partners, are expected to attend the forum in 2025.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Olena Goncharova
