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."
Tech billionaire Elon Musk leaves a meeting with House Republicans in the basement of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC on March 5, 2025. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said he expects Russia to hold talks with U.S. billionaire and President Donald Trump's ally Elon Musk in the near future, the pro-state news agency RBK reported on March 18.
The comments come amid warming ties between the U.S. and Russia as the Trump administration signaled intent to renew bilateral relations and boost economic cooperation.
Dmitriev, one of Russia's negotiators during talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia, said that the possible meeting with Musk would concern technological development and the "future of humanity."
"I think that there will undoubtedly be a discussion with Musk (about Mars flights) in the near future," the Russian official said at a business forum, according to Reuters.
Musk is the founder and CEO of the SpaceX space technology company. The billionaire recently announced plans to have his Starship spacecraft depart for Mars by the end of 2026.
According to Dmitriev, Russia also seeks cooperation with Musk and SpaceX in developing Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, and state-run nuclear energy company Rosatom.
Musk has yet to comment on the potential meeting.
Dmitriev's comments come as Trump is set to call Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a proposed ceasefire in Ukraine, seen as a step toward a broader peace agreement.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
