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."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
IMF European Department Deputy Director Uma Ramakrishnan, Head of the IMF Mission to Ukraine Gavin Gray, and Deputy Head of the IMF Mission to Ukraine Nathan Epstein (L to R) at a press conference in Kyiv, Oct. 4 2023. (Ruslan Kaniuka / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Ukraine is set to receive $2.2 billion from the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF), Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on social media on May 31.
The funding announcement comes as Ukrainian and International Monetary Fund officials reached an agreement on the fourth review of the EFF Arrangement, according to Shmyhal.
The IMF's Executive Board must first approve the $2.2 billion in funding, and no timeline was provided for when that approval may come.
The EFF funds are meant to lend Ukraine stability amid the disruptions of war, support the country's postwar recovery, and promote economic growth as Ukraine moves forward on the path to EU membership.
The EFF is set to provide $5.4 billion in budgetary assistance for 2024, with $880 million already disbursed following a successful review in March.
The total EFF amount for 2023-2027 is $15.6 billion, part of a larger international support package for Ukraine.
Foreign aid is crucial for Ukraine as the economic pressure caused by the full-scale Russian invasion mounts. The besieged country received $42.5 billion in external financing last year, allowing it to function amid the ongoing war.
On April 18, the IMF said Ukraine will need at least $42 billion in international aid to support its budget this year.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Chris York
