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.
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.
Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine in Kropyvnytskyi, Ukraine, on Aug. 20, 2024. (Ukrinform / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ukraine submitted a set of proposals to the U.S. during technical consultations on a key minerals agreement held in Washington on April 11, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna confirmed on April 14.
"This is a positive sign in itself that consultations are taking place," she said on air on national television, emphasizing that the Kyiv-prepared proposals had been coordinated across Ukrainian ministries.
Stefanishyna declined to disclose specific details, noting that negotiations are ongoing and "I expect that after these consultations, negotiations will continue until we reach an agreement."
Talks over the deal have become increasingly fraught. On April 11, a source familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the Trump administration has advanced a "maximalist" proposal to give Washington extensive control over Ukrainian natural resources.
A map showing the location of critical raw materials in Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent)
One of the glaring issues is that the latest draft of the deal reportedly conflicts with a critical raw materials partnership signed between the EU and Kyiv in 2021, potentially harming Ukraine's ambitions to join the bloc in the future.
A leaked draft of the deal drew backlash for granting disproportionate benefits to the U.S. side.
A framework version of the agreement was scheduled to be signed during President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington on Feb. 28. The Ukrainian government approved the draft and designated either First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko or Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as signatories.
The plan collapsed after a tense Oval Office dispute involving Zelensky, U.S. President DonaldTrump, and Vice President JD Vance. Zelensky left the White House without signing the agreement.
Ukraine's Justice Ministry has retained the American-British law firm Hogan Lovells to support the negotiations. Sybiha reiterated that Kyiv seeks a mutually beneficial agreement aligned with Ukraine's long-term interests and EU aspirations.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
