Ukrainian media outlet ZN.UA reported on May 10 that their law enforcement sources confirmed an ongoing probe by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau into suspected embezzlement, money laundering and bribery.
Iran is preparing to send Russia Fath-360 short-range ballistic missile launchers, Reuters reported on May 9, citing Western security and regional officials familiar with the matter.
"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.
European leaders at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Tirana, Albania, on Feb. 28, 2024. (Ukraine's Presidential Office)
The leaders of Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Ukraine signed a joint declaration in support of Kyiv while denouncing Russian aggression during a summit in Tirana on Feb. 28.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Tirana late on Feb. 27 to attend the second Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit, leading bilateral talks with other leaders and delivering a speech the following day.
The text of the declaration calls Russia's war against Ukraine "the greatest threat to the European security and international peace."
The signatories pledged unwavering support to Ukraine's independence, territorial integrity, and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter and Ukraine's peace formula. They also signaled readiness to participate in the upcoming international peace summit in Switzerland.
"We are convinced that Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the critical need and crucial importance of a united and strong Europe capable of facing global challenges for the peace and prosperity of our peoples," the declaration's text read.
The parties denounced Russia's plans to hold a presidential election in the occupied territories of Ukraine. They also pledged to help bring perpetrators of Russian war crimes to justice and to bring abducted Ukrainian children home.
The leaders agreed to intensify cooperation in the information and cybersecurity sphere, help Ukraine's post-war recovery efforts, and support Kyiv's EU and NATO bids, as well as European aspirations of Moldova, Georgia, and Western Balkan countries.
The vast majority of the countries who are party to the declaration have been supportive of Ukraine in its struggle against Russian aggression, some of whom are NATO and EU members.
Serbia, represented at the summit by its president Aleksandar Vucic, has kept close ties with Russia, however, while maintaining a neutral stance toward the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Zelensky held a bilateral meeting with Vucic on the sidelines of the summit, expressing his gratitude for the humanitarian and financial aid and emphasizing the importance of Belgrade's participation in the peace formula.
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.
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