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.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan gives an interview in Yerevan on July 21, 2023. (Karen Minasyan / AFP via Getty Images)
The European Union and Armenia formally began discussions on Sept. 9 on a visa-free regime between the two parties.
EU ambassadors in July approved the launch of a visa-free dialogue with Armenia to begin talks on a visa-free regime between the two.
"This is a significant moment for the relations between the European Union and the Republic of Armenia," the country's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Sept. 9 as he welcomed EU dignitaries ahead of the talks.
Pashinyan held the discussions in Yerevan with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, as well as other EU officials.
"I am pleased that noticeable progress is being made in our relations. Negotiations on the liberalization of the visa regime are starting, and a decision has been made to support the Republic of Armenia through the European Peace Facility, which we highly appreciate," Pashinyan added, referring to the EU approving its first-ever military support package to Armenia in July.
Armenia, who has long been close with Russia, is now seeking to distance itself after repeatedly accusing Moscow of being an unreliable partner.
Relations between the two countries have continued to sour after Russian "peacekeepers" declined to act during conflicts between Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-backed entity on internationally recognized Azeri territory, and Azerbaijan, from 2020 to 2023.
Late last month, Armenia suspended its participation in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) "at all levels."
On the same day of the start of dialogue between the two parties, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev accepted Kazakhstan's offer to serve as a broker for peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh - although relations between the two countries remain distant.
Instead, Armenia has attempted to strengthen ties with Western countries amid growing tensions with Russia and Azerbaijan. In March, Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan revealed that the country is considering applying for membership in the EU.
Pashinyan and other Armenian officials have also sought to foster security ties with other countries, such as France, the U.S., or India, as relations with Russia continue to sour.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Elsa Court
