Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
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."
Son of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., gestures onstage during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump Jr. and former U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. opposed permitting Ukraine to strike Russian territory with Western-supplied long-range missiles, calling on the Biden-Harris administration to negotiate with Moscow.
In a joint op-ed published by The Hill on Sept. 17, the two cited Russia's nuclear saber-rattling rhetoric and recent comment by Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that lifting restrictions on long-range strikes would mean NATO being "at war" with Moscow.
Russia has consistently issued threats, including nuclear ones, since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but none of them have materialized.
Ukraine is hoping for permission to use two Western-supplied long-range missiles that it already possesses to strike military targets such as airfields located deep inside Russian territory. Anticipation had been high last week ahead of meetings between Biden and U.K.Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, but no announcement on a decision was made.
Trump Jr., the son of former President and Republican nominee Donald Trump, and Kennedy Jr., who suspended his presidential campaign this summer and endorsed Trump, claimed that lifting restrictions "would put the world at greater risk of nuclear conflagration than at any time since the Cuban missile crisis."
The two urged U.S. President Joe Biden and Democratic candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris, to focus on "finding a diplomatic off-ramp" to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Trump and Kennedy also rejected the threat of Moscow's attack on other European countries in the future, saying that Russia "can barely wrest a few provinces from Ukraine."
The opinion comes as President Volodymyr Zelensky is preparing to present his "Victory Plan" to Biden and other leaders later this month, which reportedly doesn't envisage a ceasefire or ceding territory to Moscow.
Trump has repeatedly promised to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine within 24 hours if elected but has not publicly elaborated on how he plans to achieve that.
During the presidential debate on Sept. 10, Harris pledged to support Ukrainewhile Trump refused to answer whether Ukraine's victory was in the best interests of the U.S., instead insisting that it was "in the U.S.'s best interest to get this war finished and just get it done. Negotiate a deal."
Kyiv has said it aims to invite Russia for an upcoming second peace summit, though Moscow has shown no interest in accepting the invitation.
Kyiv's 10-point peace formula includes a complete Russian withdrawal from the country. Russia named Ukraine giving up on occupied territory and ceding additional ground as conditions for talks.
Natalia Yermak
