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.
"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."
The sanctioned oil tankers have transported over $24 billion in cargo since 2024, according to Downing Street. The U.K. has now sanctioned more shadow fleet vessels than any other country.
US, Russia begin talks on rare earth minerals projects, Moscow claims

Washington and Moscow have begun discussions on projects related to Russian rare earth minerals, said Kirill Dmitriev, head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund, in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia published on March 31.
The news comes as the Trump administration pushes for a swift ceasefire in Ukraine and explores venues for economic cooperation with Russia.
"Rare earth metals are an important area for cooperation, and, of course, we have begun discussions about various rare earth metals and projects in Russia," said Dmitriev, who also serves as presidential representative for economic cooperation with foreign countries.
Some companies have already demonstrated interest in the projects, the official claimed.
Dmitriev was one of Russia's negotiators during the Trump administration's first direct talks in Saudi Arabia in February.
The Feb. 18 talks were followed by two more rounds of discussions, with a meeting on March 24 focusing on a partial ceasefire in Ukraine. Dmitriev said that the next round would take place in mid-April and concern both political issues and economic cooperation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February that Russia is open to working with the U.S. in developing rare earth deposits, including in the occupied parts of Ukraine, which Putin called "newly controlled regions."
U.S. President Donald Trump has also pushed for a deal on natural resources with Ukraine, though multiple sources indicated that its latest iteration imposes harsh conditions on Kyiv and would potentially endanger its EU accession efforts.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 30 that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is looking to back out of a critical minerals agreement, warning him of "big, big problems" if he does so.

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