"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.
Combine harvesters of Continental Farmers Group agricultural company harvest wheat on Aug. 4, 2022, in Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine. (Alexey Furman/Getty Images)
Ukraine's agricultural sector has suffered around $80 billion in losses due to Russia's full-scale invasion, Agriculture Minister Vitalii Koval said on Feb. 25 during a World Bank report presentation.
This figure includes not only direct damage but also indirect damage caused by disrupted logistics, increased fertilizer and fuel costs, expenses for land reclamation and demining, and occupied territories, the minister added.
"I'm convinced that the restoration of the agricultural sector must begin today," Koval said. "A key priority is helping farmers in front-line territories."
The agricultural sector plays a vital role in Ukraine's economy, comprising approximately 20% of the country's GDP, Koval said earlier.
After Russia's full-scale invasion broke out in 2022, Ukraine's previously dominant share of non-agricultural exports declined significantly.
According to a study by the German-Ukrainian Agricultural Policy Dialogue project, after Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Ukraine’s non-agricultural exports have declined significantly, while agricultural food exports have remained relatively stable, providing vital support to the Ukrainian economy.
Koval previously said that farmers, together with agro-processors, produce about 60% of export revenues, playing a key role in the Ukrainian economy amid the full-scale war.
Throughout the full-scale war, Moscow has attempted to obstruct Ukraine's agricultural exports by blockading the Black Sea and trying to replace Ukrainian products in global markets with its own, including grain looted from occupied territories.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine reopened a maritime trade corridor in 2023, enabling the revival of its agricultural exports. In 2024, Ukraine's agricultural exports reached $24.5 billion, approaching pre-war levels and achieving the second-highest record after 2021's $27.7 billion. Last year, agricultural exports accounted for 59% of the country's total exports.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
