"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.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk speaks at a press conference on Nov. 13, 2024. (Attila Husejnow/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Feb. 20 proposed a three-point plan to strengthen Ukraine in its fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and enhance European security.
Tusk currently represents the rotating presidency of the EU Council. European leaders have called for increased support for Ukraine and are rethinking security in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to stop supporting security on the continent.
Tusk renewed calls to finance Ukraine aid with funds from Russian frozen assets, the majority of which are held in EU banks.
"Let's finance our aid for Ukraine from the Russian frozen assets," he said in a social media post on Feb. 20.
"Let's strengthen air policing, the Baltic sentry, and the EU borders with Russia. Let's swiftly adopt new fiscal measures to immediately fund security and defense."
Tusk's comments come as a shift in U.S. foreign policy towards Ukraine is pushing European officials to consider stepping up support for Kyiv and further toughening their stance on Russia.
The U.S. ended a years-long policy of isolating Moscow when American and Russian officials sat down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 for preliminary talks about ending the war in Ukraine. Neither Ukraine nor Europe were represented at the talks.
Trump previously spoke directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call on Feb. 12, holding a separate phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky the same day. The U.S. President has vowed to bring about a speedy end to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"We have no doubt that the threat to Europe is Vladimir Putin's Russia, Trump's phone call to Putin was a mistake," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on Feb. 16.
The EU introduced a 16th sanctions package against Russia on Feb. 19, targeting Russian aluminum and oil exports in response to Moscow's continued armed aggression against Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
