The newly appointed Pope Leo XIV condemned Russia's war against Ukraine in an interview on May 9, characterizing it as "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.
Landfall pipes of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in Russia on Sept. 23, 2021. (Nord Stream 2 / Nikolai Ryutin)
German economy minister Robert Habeck has ordered the country's energy regulator to halt the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in response to Russia's military escalation in eastern Ukraine, Spiegel reports.
The decision comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized occupied Ukrainian territories in Donbas as independent states, and began to move regular Russian troops into them.
According to Spiegel, Habeck sent a letter on Tuesday to the Federal Network Agency ordering it to withdraw a positive certificate for the controversial undersea pipeline, which analysts say empowers Russia to act more aggressively in Ukraine. The project is an extension of the already operating Nord Stream pipeline.
If switched on, the new pipeline would allow Russia to send 55 more billion cubic meters of gas under the Baltic Sea, bypassing Ukraine. This would deprive Ukraine of up to $2 billion a year in transit payments and a major deterrent against further Russian incursion.
Construction of the 1200-kilometer undersea pipeline was completed in September, but the pipeline was awaiting approval from the Federal Network Agency since then.
Max Hunder is a business reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He previously worked as a business reporter at the Kyiv Post focusing on infrastructure and energy. He is a graduate of Eton College and University College London, and has reported for international publications from London, Kyiv and Yerevan.
