"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.
Ukraine destroys drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast, General Staff reports
The Ukrainian Air Force struck a military facility in Russia's western Oryol region, destroying a drone storage, maintenance and repair facility, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Facebook on Dec. 28.
The General Staff said this combat operation "significantly reduced the enemy's ability to carry out airstrikes using kamikaze drones against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."
The attack took place on Dec. 26 and targeted a Russian Defense Ministry military facility between the village of Tsimbulova and the village of Rudnevo in the Bolkhov district of Russia's Oryol region.
Russian news outlet Astra claims that the facility was hit by three British-built Storm Shadow missiles, and that two people were killed and seven wounded in the attack. This information can't be independently verified.
The Oryol region had seen another Ukrainian attack on Dec. 22, when drones targeted an oil depot and set it on fire.
The same depot had been attacked just a week earlier, on Dec. 14, when Ukrainian drones caused a large fire to break out. The fire reportedly burned for several days after the attack.
The General Staff said after that attack that the depot in the region was one of the largest oil product terminals in Russia and was "part of the Russian military-industrial complex, supplying the Russian army with petroleum products."
Ukraine first deployed the British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles on Nov. 20, just one day after also deploying U.S.-made long-range ATACMS for the first time.
Since then, Kyiv has intensified its strike campaign on Russian territory, targeting military and industrial facilities to weaken Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
Martina Sapio
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