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.
"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.
Ukraine expects Israel to condemn Putin's antisemitic remarks, 'It looks bad if they don't'

President's Office Head Andriy Yermak said Ukraine expects an official comment from Israel after Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Ukrainian president "a disgrace to the Jewish people."
"If Israel doesn't issue any reaction, it looks really bad, you can't be neutral to Nazi statements," Yermak said on June 27.
On June 16, Putin gave a speech filled with antisemitic remarks.
"They say Zelensky is not a Jew, he is a disgrace to the Jewish people,” Putin said during a speech in Saint Petersburg.

In an interview with the BBC, Zelensky said he had a hard time responding to such statements.
"It's like he doesn't fully understand his words. Apologies, but it's like he is the second king of antisemitism after Hitler," he said.
“This is a president speaking. A civilized world cannot speak that way. But it was important for me to hear the reaction of the world and I am grateful for the support,” he said.
Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman responded to Putin's words by saying he is “personally proud of President Zelensky for not fleeing, and for doing everything possible to help the Ukrainian people.”
Ukraine's frustration with Israel grows as the country notably avoids sending aid or condemning Russian actions in Ukraine.
Ukraine's Embassy in Israel issued a statement on June 25 saying that "the so-called 'neutrality' of the Israeli government is considered a clear pro-Russian position."
"While democratic countries impose sanctions on Russia, Israel imposed no sanctions at all, moreover it has increased bilateral trade with bloody Moscow regime during the last two year," the statement reads.
Yermak said that Ukraine expects Israel to make a choice.
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