"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.
The announcement follows mounting fears that the two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of engaging in another full-scale war.
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.
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.
Ukraine identifies Russian general suspected of ordering strike on Kyiv children's hospital

Ukrainian authorities on Sept. 10 announced war crime charges in absentia against Russian Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash over a deadly strike against the Ohkmadyt children's hospital in Kyiv two months ago.
Russian forces hit Ukraine's largest children's medical center on July 8, killing two adults and injuring at least 34 people, including nine children. Footage showed that the building suffered a direct hit by a Russian missile rather than being damaged by fallen debris.
Kobylash, who at the time served as Russia's long-range aviation commander, ordered the missile strike that hit the hospital, according to an investigation published by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Prosecutor General's Office.
The general already faces other charges connected to the full-scale war in Ukraine, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest for attacks against Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"The investigation established that it was him (Kobylash), who, on July 8, 2024... gave the order to a unit under his command to carry out a strike from the Tu-95MS bomber plane with a cruise missile Kh-101 against the Okhmadyt hospital's premises," Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin said on Sept. 10 while speaking at the site of the attack.
Kobylash gave the order at around 9:15 a.m., while the hospital was struck at 10:45 a.m., the SBU clarified.
"As part of the investigation, the SBU and the Prosecutor General's Office... talked to 112 victims and 50 eyewitnesses, conducted explosive, forensic, and other examinations, and analyzed video surveillance footage," SBU deputy head Serhii Naumiuk said.
The missile, fired from a plane of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, kept maneuvering and changing its flight path, indicating an intention to bypass Ukrainian air defenses and hit the medical facility, the SBU said.
The SBU charged Kobylash last January over "massive rocket attacks on residential buildings, hospitals, and critical infrastructure facilities in various regions of Ukraine."
In March 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Kobylash and Russian Admiral Viktor Sokolov for ordering strikes against the Ukrainian electricity infrastructure during the winter of 2022 to 2023, which led to extensive blackouts across the country.

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