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.
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."
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba holds a press briefing after negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov end without a result, in Antalya, Turkey, on March 10, 2022. (Photo by Orhan Cicek/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on March 10 in Turkey, in an attempt to broker a 24-hour ceasefire and a humanitarian corridor to the southern port city of Mariupol, encircled by Russian troops.
According to Kuleba, no results were reached since Lavrov didn’t have the mandate to sign any agreements.
“I came here with a humanitarian purpose, to walk out of the meeting with a decision to arrange a humanitarian corridor to and from Mariupol,” Kuleba said, adding that they didn’t reach an agreement with Lavrov.
Kuleba said he is ready to meet again “if there will be prospects to a solution."
Mariupol, a besieged city in Donetsk Oblast, has been in dire conditions and under heavy airstrikes.
Three attempts to evacuate civilians from the city have failed after Russia violated the agreed-upon temporary ceasefire.
Kuleba described the current conditions in Mariupol as “apocalyptic,” and said, a day prior, that there are almost 3,000 newborn babies who lack medicine and food in the city.
“Russia continues to hold more than 400,000 people hostage in Mariupol, blocking humanitarian aid and evacuation,” he said. “Indiscriminate shelling continues.”
For over a week, civilians in Mariupol have been anxiously waiting for news of evacuation efforts as they shelter under bombardment without water, power, or heat.
On March 8, President Volodymyr Zelensky said a six-year-old girl died of dehydration in Mariupol. He added that the exact size of the death toll in the city is unclear.
The city’s deputy mayor Serhiy Orlov said on March 9 that 1,170 civilians had already died in the besieged port city.
Orlov’s comments followed Russia’s attack on a children’s hospital and the maternity hospital nearby. The photos and footage of the destroyed premises have been widely shared by international media. The attack killed three people, including a child, Mariupol City Council reported on March 10.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian troops engaged in bombing civilian targets such as schools, kindergartens and hospitals.
According to the United Nations, over 500 civilians were killed by Russia, since the start of the war. The estimates of Ukraine's State Emergency Service place the civilian death toll at over 2,000.
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