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 sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's president, addresses the nation from his office in Belgrade, Serbia, on Jan. 10, 2025. (Oliver Bunic/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Serbia will officially offer to host the upcoming meeting between U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a television broadcast on Jan. 12.
Trump announced on Jan. 9 that plans for a meeting with Putin were already underway, but no concrete details have been made public.
Belgrade is ready to host the future meeting and can guarantee appropriate security for both leaders, Vucic told the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation (RTS).
"(Serbia) is the country where President Trump had the greatest support in all of Europe," Vucic said.
"There is no country that can compare to Serbia in terms of the level of support for President Trump. ... And on the other hand, it is a country where President Putin is still very, very popular. So, I think that this is a place on the globe that would be extremely suitable for both of them."
Serbia is well-suited to host Trump and Putin because it is not a member of any military alliances, such as NATO, Vucic said.
Serbia maintains a friendly attitude toward Russia and has refused to join international sanctions against Moscow in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the same time, Vucic has called Ukraine a "friendly country" and previously affirmed that Crimea and Donbas are Ukrainian sovereign territories.
Switzerland has also put itself forward as a potential site for the Trump-Putin talks. Nicolas Bideau, head of communications at the Swiss Foreign Ministry, told Swiss media on Jan. 12 that Switzerland had already communicated its willingness to host the meeting.
The framework of the upcoming meeting is still being determined, incoming U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Jan. 12. A phone call between Trump and Putin to work out the details is expected "in the coming days and weeks."
The Kremlin has said a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders will have to wait until after Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Martin Fornusek
