"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.
Ukrainian forces defending Kurakhove thermal power plant amid intense fighting in Donetsk Oblast, military says
Ukrainian troops are holding defensive lines at the Kurakhove thermal power plant despite fierce fighting in the sector, Khortytsia group of forces spokesperson Viktor Trehubov said on national television on Jan. 10.
"Now the Russians are trying to attack in the area of Dachne, and drive Ukrainian forces out of Kurakhove. Ukrainian forces are holding the thermal power plant and inflicting all the damage they can on the enemy," Trehubov said.
Kurakhove has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk Oblast over the past few months, turning the town into one of the hottest sectors of the front.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed on Jan. 6 that its forces had fully captured Kurakhove in, a statement not confirmed at the time by Ukraine.
On Jan. 7, a military spokesperson said Ukrainian forces continue to hold positions in the western outskirts of Kurakhove and the power plant, but the situation in the town is "difficult."
The town lies over 20 kilometers (over 10 miles) north of Russian-occupied Vuhledar and over 30 kilometers (almost 20 miles) south of the key front-line town of Pokrovsk.
Ukrainian troops are destroying large amounts of Russian military equipment in the Kurakhove sector, Trehubov added.
Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled 29 Russian attacks in the Kurakhove sector near Sribne, Andriivka, Petropavlivka, Kurakhove, and Dachne over the past day, the General Staff reported earlier in the day.
Following the capture of Mariinka in early 2024, the Russian army intensified its advance toward Kurakhove. Street fighting is currently taking place in the town.
Russian forces had earlier blown up the dam of the Kurakhove Reservoir, a hydraulic structure near the village of Stari Terny in the Kurakhove community.
The thermal power plant in Kurakhove, for which the damaged reservoir was created, is not operating. The industrial facility has now become a fortification, and the scene of intense urban fighting in Kurakhove.
If taken, Kurakhove would be the first significant town to fall into Russian hands in 2025 after Russia took Avdiivka and Vuhledar last year.
Moscow's troops are also focusing their efforts on Pokrovsk, an important logistics hub, as part of their overall goal to capture the entire Donetsk Oblast.
Kateryna Denisova
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