"Russia is ready for negotiations without any preconditions," Putin claimed in an address marking the end of the three-day Victory Day ceasefire. He invited Ukraine to begin talks in Istanbul on May 15.
While serving as a bishop in Peru, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, called the full-scale war "a true invasion, imperialist in nature, where Russia seeks to conquer territory for reasons of power.”
Speaking to CNN on May 10, Peskov commented on the latest ceasefire proposal from Ukraine and Europe, responding that Russia needs to "think about" it, but is "resistant" to pressure.
Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv on May 10, President Volodymyr Zelensky rebuked the idea of a demilitarized zone in the war and emphasized the importance of first securing a ceasefire.
"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.
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.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. Ukrainian front-line troops with a Leopard 2 tank in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Sept. 16, 2023. (Vincenzo Circosta/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the most recent reports.
Multiple Russian ceasefire violations across the front line have been reported since an Easter truce was declared by the Kremlin, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 20.
Russia's Easter ceasefire was supposed to come into effect at 6 pm on April 19 and last until midnight on April 21, with Russian President Vladimir Putin claiming it would "test Ukraine's sincerity in pursuing peace talks."
As of 1:55 a.m. local time on April 21, Russia has violated the Easter truce nearly 3,000 times, Zelensky said.
The military reported 96 Russian assaults on Ukrainian positions, 1,882 instances of shelling, and 950 uses of Russian first-person-view (FPV) drones, the president said, citing a briefing from Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"In fact, on all the main directions of the front, Russia has not kept its own promise," Zelensky said.
Earlier in the day, Zelensky reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine had observed an increase in Russian shelling and the use of kamikaze drones since 10 a.m., with the use of FPV drones "doubling."
Russian forces carried out 26 assaults between midnight and noon on Easter Sunday, Zelensky added.
The Russian military is reportedly most active in the Pokrovsk and Siversk directions in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast.
The president said that Ukraine's steps will be "symmetrical" to those of Russia: "Ceasefire will be met with ceasefire, and Russian strikes will be met with our own in defense."
"We are documenting every Russian violation of its self-declared commitment to a full ceasefire for the Easter period and are prepared to provide the necessary information to our partners," Zelensky said.
"Either Putin does not have full control over his army, or the situation proves that in Russia, they have no intention of making a genuine move toward ending the war, and are only interested in favorable PR coverage."
Zelensky also repeated his call to pressure Moscow to "genuinely commit to a ceasefire" for 30 days, rather than simply during the Easter holiday.
Russian FPV drone attacks targeting civilians were also reported in Ukraine's southern Kherson Oblast after the Easter ceasefire came into effect, with at least four people reported injured and one person killed.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
