"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.
Uzbekistan refuses to join Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia
Tashkent has no intention of joining the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, the Moscow Times reported on Oct. 24, citing Akmal Saidov, First Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Uzbek Parliament.
As the full-scale invasion began, several allies started to distance themselves from Moscow to avoid potential economic sanctions, among other reasons.
In mid-October, Kazakhstan announced it would not join the BRICS, where Russia is a founding member. While, in early September, Armenia announced that it had frozen its membership "at all levels" in another Russian-led alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin arrived in Tashkent in August to hold talks with Uzbek officials about potentially joining the EAEU, which Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the new "center of a multipolar world."
Following a meeting with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, Mishustin promised Tashkent "business benefits," "new markets," and "fair competition."
Despite the Russian promises, a parliamentary commission that studied about a thousand of the EAEU's foundational documents "did not find any benefits for Uzbekistan," Saidov said.
Saidov added that Kazakhstan has not benefited much from its participation in the EAEU either, and thus, it will be "optimal" for Uzbekistan to remain in observer status and maintain its independence and sovereignty.
At the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Uzbekistan declared that it did not recognize the proxy authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and supported Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Tashkent continues to actively trade with Moscow, and the Uzbek government maintains close ties with the Russian leadership.
On May 26, Putin arrived in Uzbekistan's capital to discuss strengthening bilateral relations with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. That visit marked Putin's third international trip since his inauguration for the fifth presidential term, secured in the March election broadly seen as rigged.
James Beardsworth
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