"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.
Part of the wreckage is seen as rescue boats search the waters of the Potomac River after a plane on approach to Reagan National Airport crashed into the river outside Washington, DC, Jan. 30, 2025. (Andrew CCaballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The story was updated with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov's confirmation that Russian figure skaters were on the plane.
Russian world figure skating champions Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were on board the American Airlines plane that crashed in Washington, DC, on Jan. 29, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing its sources.
Later in the day, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the Russian figure skaters were on the plane.
"Unfortunately, we see that this sad information is being confirmed. There were several others of our fellow citizens. Bad news from Washington today," Peskov said.
The plane crashed into a military helicopter while landing at the Washington airport. There were 64 people on the plane. In the first hours after the crash, rescuers found no survivors.
The plane was flying from Wichita, Kansas, where the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the National Development Camp for athletes and coaches were taking place.
Shishkova and Naumov's son Maxim, who competes for the U.S. national figure skating team, was also allegedly on board the plane, the Russian Telegram channel Shot reported.
Inna Volyanskaya, a bronze medalist of the USSR championship in pairs skating, was among the passengers as well, a source told TASS.
Most of the skaters on the plane were "children of Russian immigrants," the Russian Telegram channel Mash reported.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all the claims.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Boldizsar Gyori
