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.
The United States embassy in Kyiv on May 9 issued a warning that Russia could launch "a potentially significant" attack in the coming days, despite Putin's self-declared Victory Day "truce."
Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in action during the Women's Singles fourth round match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 9, 2023 in London, England. (Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
Tennis player Elina Svitolina and swimmer Mykhailo Romanchuk were elected flag bearers of the Ukrainian national team at the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris, Ukraine's National Olympic Committee announced on July 25.
Starting with the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, countries have two flag bearers, one male and one female, at the opening and closing ceremonies. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) introduced this change to ensure gender balance.
The 2024 Olympic Games are gender-balanced for the first time in history, with 50% women and 50% men among the participants, according to the IOC.
Svitolina and Romanchuk were medalists at the previous Olympics in Tokyo. Svitolina won bronze in the individual tennis competition, while Romanchuk became a silver and bronze medalist in the 1500 m and 800 m freestyle events, respectively.
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics will take place on July 26.
Only 140 Ukrainian athletes will compete at the Olympic Games in Paris this year, the smallest number in the history of the country's participation in the games, according to Ukraine's National Olympic Committee.
Ukraine will be represented in 23 sports in Paris. Ukrainian athletes will compete in football, breakdancing, and sport climbing for the first time at the Olympics.
The full-scale invasion has significantly affected the preparation of Ukrainian athletes for the competition in Paris, the National Olympic Committee's president, Vadym Gutzeit, said on July 9 at a press conference in Kyiv.
Over 500 Ukrainian sports facilities have been damaged or destroyed since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. Some of the facilities are located in the Russian-held territories, according to the NOC's president.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Elsa Court
