"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.
The announcement follows mounting fears that the two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of engaging in another full-scale war.
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.
The visit marks Merz’s first trip to Ukraine, and the first time all four leaders have travelled there together.
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.
"As in the past, it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace," the EU's statement reads.
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."
The number includes 1,310 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day.
Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Oct. 15 that another six bodies of civilians were found in the liberated eastern city of Lyman. Kyrylenko said that they died during the Russian occupation, but the causes of death remain unclear.
Mass burial sites have been found in Lyman. The regional police department said on Oct. 14 that workers had finished exhuming bodies at one of Lyman’s mass graves containing 34 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers. Exhumation procedures continue at another mass grave, where more than 120 civilians were estimated to be buried.
Meanwhile, Donetsk Oblast continues to be heavily shelled by Russian forces.
Kyrylenko also reported on Oct. 15 that two civilians were killed in Bakhmut over the past 24 hours, while six others were wounded across the region.
Heavy fighting is reported in the central part of Donetsk Oblast as Russian forces slowly advance toward Bakhmut’s city center.
The U.K. intelligence confirmed Russian proxies’ earlier claim that they have captured the villages of Opytne and Ivanhrad, located south of Bakhmut.
Ukraine’s military has not commented on these reports. According to the reintegration ministry, Ukrainian forces have liberated 43 settlements in Donetsk Oblast over the past month.
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