"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.
Ukraine's military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov attends the final of the largest student competition "Side by Side All-Ukrainian School Leagues" in Kyiv. (Kyrylo Chubotin/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov believes that Ukraine and Russia will reach a ceasefire this year, he said in an interview with Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev published on Feb. 18.
Budanov described the situation as "paradoxical" since the positions of Kyiv and Moscow are drastically opposite.
"At the same time, I think we will reach a ceasefire this year," Budanov said.
"How long it will be, how effective it will be, is another question. But I think it will happen. Most of the components needed for this to happen are there."
U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed to mediate a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia while using increasingly hostile rhetoric toward Kyiv. A day before dubbing President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator," he accused Ukraine on Feb. 19 of starting the war.
This was preceded by a meeting of the American and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 and a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place before Trump's call with Zelensky.
No concrete decisions were announced following the U.S.-Russia talks, but Ukraine's exclusion from the meeting sparked alarm in Kyiv and Europe.
According to the spy chief, while the NATO membership issue remains "very complicated,” there is no other relevant format for security guarantees. He also questioned the effectiveness of deploying a peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, saying that such a step has never met expectations in other war-torn countries.
Previously, Zelensky said that European partners would need to station 100,000 to 150,000 soldiers in Ukraine to effectively deter Russia. The U.K. and France are considering deploying a much smaller European-led peacekeeping force with up to 30,000 soldiers, the Telegraph reported.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
