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."
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.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meeting Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor candidate of the CDU/CSU alliance (R), on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky separately met with German opposition leader Friedrich Merz and Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 22.
Talks between Zelensky and Merz focused on "necessary efforts and coordinated actions with allies to achieve a just and lasting peace," the Presidential Office said.
Merz is the chancellor candidate of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance for the parliamentary elections in February. The German politician, who met Zelensky in Kyiv last December, has urged Berlin to provide more decisive support to Ukraine and supported the provision of long-range Taurus missiles.
Speaking to Merz in Davos, Zelensky "underscored the critical importance of Germany approving an additional 3 billion euros ($3.1 billion) defense support package for Ukraine."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has blocked the approval of additional funds for Ukraine unless they are paid through additional borrowing, drawing criticism from his coalition partners.
Merz's party, whose support is crucial for passing the funding since Scholz's coalition lost the majority in the parliament, backed the additional funding for Ukraine but insisted the federal budget can cover it without abandoning the debt break.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Presidential Office)
During his meeting with the Israeli president, Zelensky highlighted "shared challenges facing their nations and agreed on areas for future cooperation, particularly in the field of security."
Ukraine has sought to secure Israel's backing in the war with Moscow, arguing that the Russian-Iranian alliance presents a shared enemy to both Kyiv and Tel Aviv. The outreach has been largely unsuccessful, with Israel staying out of the Russia-Ukraine war while fighting its own conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
The Ukrainian president also said that Ukraine understands "the pain of having loved ones held in captivity and share the joy when people return home from captivity."
The Palestinian militant group Hamas recently released three Israeli hostages in the first phase of a ceasefire deal between the group and Tel Aviv.
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
