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."
The detained Eagle S tanker, which is suspected of damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea last month, off the coast of Porvoo, Finland, on Jan. 7, 2025. Finnish authorities deemed the tanker that's part of the fleet carrying Russian oil as not seaworthy after inspections onboard. (Roni Rekomaa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Eagle S oil tanker, which is thought to be part of Russia's "shadow fleet," was allowed to leave Finland's waters after it was detained on suspicion of sabotaging undersea Baltic cables, the Agence France-Presse news agency reported on March 2.
Finnish authorities announced that there were "no longer grounds" to continue detaining the Russian-linked vessel Eagle S, though their criminal investigation remains ongoing. Three of the eight suspected individuals from the ship's crew have been barred from leaving Finland as authorities continue to probe the incident.
In January, the Swedish Navy found an anchor at the site of the sabotaged cables in the Baltic Sea. Finnish authorities suspect the Eagle S intentionally dragged its anchor along dozens of kilometers of the Baltic seabed, according to AFP.
The vessel is believed to be part of Russia’s so-called "shadow fleet," a network of ships that Moscow allegedly uses to circumvent Western sanctions and continue exporting oil and gas. These vessels operate under opaque ownership structures, making them difficult to track and raising significant security and environmental concerns.
In mid-January, senior officials from three nations said that recent damage to undersea cables was likely the result of accidents rather than deliberate sabotage by Russia.
However, some analysts and officials believe the damage is potentially linked to Russia’s broader hybrid warfare strategy—a blend of cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and covert operations to stir discord in the West.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Dominic Culverwell
