"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.
Russian journalists (L-R) Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, Antonina Kravtsova, and Artem Kriger stand inside the glass cage at the Nagatinsky court in Moscow on April 15, 2025. (AFP via Getty Images)
A Russian court sentenced four journalists to five and a half years in prison each on April 15 for their alleged involvement with Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), which Moscow has labeled an "extremist organization," independent outlet Mediazona reported.
The case concerned Antonina Favorskaya, Artem Krieger, Sergey Karelin, and Konstantin Gabov, who were said to be producing video content for Navalny-affiliated YouTube channels, including the Navalny Live platform.
Testimony against them reportedly came from individuals who previously participated in street interviews for the channel.
Favorskaya, a correspondent for independent Russian outlet SotaVision, was detained in March. Moscow court officials claimed she was responsible for "collecting, editing, and publishing" content for FBK, which was banned in Russia in 2021.
The other three — Krieger, also with SotaVision, and freelance journalists Gabov and Karelin — were arrested in April and have remained in pre-trial detention.
Gabov has worked with Reuters and Poland's state-financed Belsat, while Karelin previously contributed to the Associated Press and Deutsche Welle.
The Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by Navalny in 2011, gained prominence through its investigations into systemic corruption among Russia's elite. The Kremlin branded the group extremist following Navalny's arrest in January 2021 as part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent.
Navalny, who returned to Russia in 2021 after surviving a poisoning attempt, was imprisoned on politically motivated charges and died under suspicious circumstances in an Arctic penal colony on Feb. 16, 2024.
Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, has since taken up a more public role, vowing to carry on his anti-corruption work and hold the Kremlin accountable. She has directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering her husband.
The sentencing of the four journalists underscores the Kremlin's continued suppression of independent media and its escalating efforts to silence voices linked to Navalny's legacy.
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.
Abbey Fenbert
