The visit marks Merz’s first trip to Ukraine, and the first time all four leaders have travelled there together.
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.
"As in the past, it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace," the EU's statement reads.
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."
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
"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.
Transfer of Abrams tanks from Australia to Ukraine stalled due to US resistance, media reports

A fleet of decommissioned U.S.-made Abrams tanks that Australia promised to Kyiv has not yet been delivered, in part due to resistance from Washington, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on April 28, citing unnamed defense officials.
Australia pledged to send Kyiv 49 "soon-to-be-retired"M1A1 Abrams tanks as part of a broader military aid package in October 2024.
The tanks are still sitting in Australia, the ABC reported. Defense officials told the outlet that the U.S. has to grant formal permission before the vehicles can be delivered to another country. This permission has not been granted, they said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's decision earlier this year to temporarily freeze all military aid to Ukraine may have also complicated the delivery, the outlet reported in March. An unnamed American official told the ABC that the U.S. government had warned Australia against sending the tanks before the package was announced last fall.
One defense official, speaking anonymously about the current delay, also cited other potential problems with delivering the Abrams tanks.
"We are starting to doubt if the Ukrainians actually want these vehicles — the tank roof is the weakest point of the Abrams and this is a drone war," the official said.
"There is also the concern that with a possible peace deal looming it would be embarrassing to have the tanks on board ships in the middle of the ocean, and there is also a lack of ranked personal that are necessary to babysit the assets at sea."
The effectiveness of Abrams tanks on the battlefield in Ukraine has been previously called into question by Western officials. The Associated Press (AP) reported in April 2024 that Ukrainian forces were pulling the tanks from the front lines due to the high risk of detection by Russian drones. The Ukrainian military denied the claim.
"The tanks are doing a great job on the battlefield, and we are definitely not going to hide from the enemy what makes them hide," a front-line unit said.
The Australian Defense Ministry told the ABC that the promised tanks are "on target" to reach Ukraine in 2025.
"Australia remains on target to meet the delivery of the M1A1 Abrams in 2025, the M1A1 export process remains ongoing," a ministry spokesperson told the ABC in a statement.
"Defense continues to work with the Ukrainian government in line with agreed arrangements for the gifting, including on delivery and sustainment."

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