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.
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."
Flags representing the participants of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders summit at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Savelletri, Italy, on June 13, 2024. (Francesca Volpi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received over $100 billion in foreign-backed external financing to support Ukraine's state budget, the country's finance ministry announced on Nov. 15.
In addition to military aid to support Ukrainian military efforts along its eastern border, Western countries and institutions have helped to finance Ukraine's state budget amid increased budgetary pressures on the embattled nation.
Ukraine's external financing is primarily received through various cooperation programs including International Monetary Fund's (IMF) Extended Fund Facility program, the European Union's Ukraine Facility program, the World Bank, as well as directly from individual countries.
European Union nations rank first in providing external budget support with a combined $40.5 billion, the finance ministry announced. EU member states are followed by the United States with $28.2 billion in support, the International Monetary Fund at $11.4 billion, Japan at $6.3 billion, and Canada with $5.4 billion in budget support — all of which amounting to more than 90% of Ukraine's external financing.
"While the military campaign is financed by domestic resources, Ukraine counts on the support of international partners to finance social and humanitarian needs. No country can face challenges of this scale alone," Ukraine's finance ministry said a statement.
Of the total external budget support, about 33% of the aid — or $33.7 billion — has come in the form of non-repayable grants, with the United States providing the plurality of the grant funding.
Combining external funding with military assistance for Ukraine, the United States leads in its support allocating $175 billion to assist Ukraine — although that number includes an number government funding projects associated with the war including domestic weapons production. In April 2024, the U.S. approved its largest foreign aid bill providing $61 billion for Ukraine.
Ukraine expects to receive a total of $40.8 billion in external financing in 2024, having received $27.2 billion as of Nov. 14. The total for 2024 is in line with a record high in external financing provided in 2023 at $42.5 billion.
Ukraine's Deputy Finance Minister Olha Zykova said in August that the country would need to increaseits external budget support by $12-15 billion for it to meet its domestic needs.
Earlier this year, Group of Seven (G7) nations finalized a framework agreement for a $50 billion loan for Ukraine backed by frozen Russian assets revenue.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
