"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.
Ukraine's then-Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, U.K. on June 22, 2023. (Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has appointed former Vice Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov as his advisor "on a voluntary basis," Umerov announced on Jan. 7.
Kubrakov had headed the Infrastructure Ministry since May 2021 before being dismissed in May 2024 for unclear reasons.
While his dismissal was formally justified by the restructuring of Kubrakov's ministry, Ukrainska Pravda reported that the former minister fell out of favor with the Presidential Office.
The ex-minister's "experience as the deputy prime minister, the infrastructure minister, and head of Ukravtodor (the State Agency of Automobile Roads) is important and will help improve the supply and logistics in the Armed Forces," Umerov said on the Defense Ministry's Telegram channel.
The appointment comes amid wide-ranging calls for military reforms as Ukraine's army is increasingly on the back foot in its war against Russia.
Last week, Umerov announced a comprehensive review of the Ground Forces Command to evaluate management structures, processes, and compliance with legislation to support reforms and enhance battlefield effectiveness.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
