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."
A view of the sunset over the right bank of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on December 27, 2023. (Photo by Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
An advisor for President Volodymyr Zelensky denied a news report suggesting Zelensky's new victory plan will include a partial ceasefire, calling it a "fake."
Zelensky has said he will present the United States with a plan for Ukraine's victory later this month during a meeting with Biden.
"Bild spread a fake," Lytvyn said. "Bild has not seen the victory plan, and of the few people who are currently involved by the president in the preparation of the Victory Plan, none of them spoke to Bild."
"Ukraine is against any freezing of the war, and this is said at all levels of the Ukrainian leadership. And it is important for us that the United States supports Ukraine's Victory Plan, not capitulation or freezing," Lytvyn said.
He added that the United States would be the first partner presented with the plan.
Officials have so far been tight-lipped about the plan's details.
Last month, Zelensky said that Ukraine's operations in Kursk were part of his plan for victory.
The other aspects of the plan include Ukraine's participation in the global security infrastructure, pressuring Russia to end the war through diplomatic means, and an economic aspect, Zelensky said without revealing further details.
Kyiv has said it aims to invite a Russian representative to the second conference.
Kyiv has repeatedly rejected any ceasefire or temporary break in hostilities, saying it would only provide a window of opportunity for Russia to regroup its forces.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Martin Fornusek
