"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.
Illustrative purposes only: Electricians of the DTEK energy company restoring damaged power grid in Donetsk Oblast on July 23, 2024. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)
The U.S., Russia, and Ukraine have agreed to implement a complete ban on strikes targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on March 25.
"All parties agreed to implement the presidential agreement on a complete ban on strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Russia," Umerov wrote on Facebook.
Following talks with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. committed to enforcing the ban, according to a White House statement. Washington also agreed with Kyiv and Moscow to "develop measures" to implement the agreement.
In addition, the three sides have agreed to "eliminate the use of force" and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea, the White House said.
The U.S. also pledged to facilitate Russia's access to global markets for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and improve access to ports and payment systems for these transactions.
The announcements follow 12 hours of U.S.-Russia negotiations on March 24 and a subsequent round of U.S.-Ukraine talks on March 25, after an initial meeting on March 23.
According to an undisclosed source cited by CBS News, Ukrainian officials were briefed on the outcomes of the U.S.-Russia talks before their public release.
The U.S. delegation was led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the U.S. National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official, Reuters reported.
The Russian delegation included Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov.
The talks were the latest step in U.S. President Donald Trump's effort to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
The U.S. and Ukraine initially backed a broader 30-day ceasefire during talks in Jeddah on March 11, which included halting ground operations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire during a call with Trump on March 18, demanding conditions that would weaken Ukraine's defense, such as suspending foreign military aid.
While Putin agreed to an immediate, partial ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks, Russia continued its regular aerial assaults on Ukrainian cities and critical facilities.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Kateryna Denisova
