"We agreed that a full and unconditional ceasefire must begin on Monday, May 12, for at least 30 days. We jointly demand this from Russia, and we know we are supported in this by the United States," Zelensky said.
The announcement follows mounting fears that the two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of engaging in another full-scale war.
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.
The visit marks Merz’s first trip to Ukraine, and the first time all four leaders have travelled there together.
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.
"As in the past, it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace," the EU's statement reads.
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."
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Ukraine's population dropped by 10 million after Russia's 2014 invasion, UN says
Ukraine's population has declined by over 10 million since Russia invaded in 2014, according to Florence Bauer, regional director for the Eastern European and Central Asian branch of the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA).
Russian troops first invaded Ukraine in 2014, occupying parts of the eastern Donbas region and illegally annexing the Crimean peninsula.
Since then, Ukraine's population has fallen by over 10 million and the number of refugees has surged to 6.7 million, with the full-scale invasion of 2022 exacerbating an already dire decline.
"The birth rate plummeted and is currently at around one child per woman, which is one of the lowest in the world," Bauer said on Oct. 22 at a briefing in Geneva.
Ukraine's birth rate is now the lowest in Europe, according to the U.N.
Refugees account for a major portion of Ukraine's population loss, with casualties of Russia's war another contributing factor.
"It's difficult to have exact numbers, but estimates range around tens of thousands of casualties," Bauer said.
The population of Ukraine totaled 37.441 million as of Jan. 1, 2024, but more declines are expected in the coming years. A U.N. forecast in July predicted that the population might drop to as low as 15.3 million people by 2100.
Ukraine and the UNFPA have partnered in developing a national demographic strategy, Bauer said. The strategy focuses on human capital rather than simply trying to increase the birth rate.
The path to population stability also depends on an end to the war, Bauer acknowledged.
Russia is facing its own demographic crisis, with a projected decline of about 7 million over the next two decades.
Francis Farrell
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