"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.
Peter Pellegrini, Slovakia's former prime minister, center, at an election night watch party in Bratislava, Slovakia, on April 6, 2024. (Michaela Nagyidaiova/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini recently rejected all four requests from Slovak citizens wishing to join Ukraine's armed forces, Slovak media source TASR reported on Nov. 3.
Pellegrini emphasized that unauthorized foreign military service constitutes a crime subject to prosecution in Slovakia.
This decision also reflects his alignment with Prime Minister Robert Fico’s stance against military support for Ukraine and contrasts with the policy of Pellegrini's predecessor, Zuzana Caputova, who had approved similar applications.
This Slovak policy differs from neighboring Czechia, where President Petr Pavel has permitted 60 Czech citizens to serve with Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine's International Legion was launched at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, attracting foreigners who volunteered to defend Ukraine.
Citizens from over 50 countries have joined the unit since the start of the full-scale invasion, including military veterans from the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Europe, and beyond, Ukraine's military intelligence said.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Kateryna Denisova
