"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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Huge queues of cars are seen near the Polish-Ukrainian border near Korczowa on June 30, 2022. (Janek Skarzynski/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine and the EU on April 10 extended the transport visa-free regime until the end of this year, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced.
This is the fourth extension of the agreement since 2022. The deal helps speed up Ukrainian exports to the EU by easing bureaucratic requirements and avoiding delays at customs.
Exporters can issue transit declarations in Ukraine and travel to the EU without any obstacles.
"Transport visa-free regime is a part of Ukraine's sectoral integration into Europe and a prerequisite for our membership in the European Union," Shmyhal said.
In the past three years, Ukraine's exports to the EU have increased by 42% and imports to Ukraine by 37%, Shmyhal said.
The Polish media reported in February that the EU does not plan to extend the preferential trade agreement framework in its current form past its June 5 expiration date and is considering a new set of rules instead.
The newly proposed framework would establish specific export and import volumes, potentially aiding Ukraine's integration into the EU single market while addressing concerns from member states about agricultural imports.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Martin Fornusek
