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."
Televangelist Pastor Mark Burns speaks to Trump supporters in Washington, D.C., U.S. on Jan. 5, 2021. (Tayfun Coskun / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Pastor Mark Burns, the man described as U.S. President Donald Trump’s “spiritual advisor,” said he believes he played a small part in strengthening U.S.-Ukraine relations after briefing Trump on what he witnessed during a recent visit to Ukraine.
“I shared with the president and the White House what I experienced in Ukraine,” Burns told the Kyiv Independent. “The atrocities done to Ukrainian women, children, senior citizens, and civilians at the hands of the Russians. I shared stories of the 20,000 kidnapped children and the 700 places of faith that were targeted by the Russians.”
Asked how Trump responded to his account of the war, Burns said: “The president always shows concern and care for innocent people dying and suffering. Which is why you see him putting more pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and expressing his displeasure with Putin.”
Burns, who once backed Trump’s pause on military aid to Ukraine, dramatically shifted his stance after witnessing the aftermath of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih that killed 20 people, including nine children. In an earlier interview, he told the Kyiv Independent that “supporting Ukraine is America first.”
Now, after meeting with Trump in recent days, Burns says the president is taking action.
“In fact, President Donald Trump has recently approved the first round of weapons deliveries to Ukraine, sending a powerful message that the United States will not back down in supporting Ukraine’s right to defend itself,” Burns said.
He also highlighted the creation of a U.S.-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, calling it “a monumental step in providing Ukraine with the resources it needs to rebuild and grow.” The fund was created after the U.S. and Ukraine signed the long-awaited minerals agreement on April 30.
American officials have prepared several options for Trump to ramp up economic pressure on Russia in response to Putin’s continued refusal to end the war against Ukraine, Bloomberg reported on May 2. Though Trump initially threatened tariffs and sanctions after taking office, none have materialized so far.
With Russia intensifying its strikes and rejecting U.S.-backed ceasefire proposals, Trump has reportedly begun questioning Moscow’s intentions.
Chris York
