"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."
"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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives at the European Political Community Summit at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, Spain, on Oct. 5, 2023. (Photo credit: Paul Hanna/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ukraine is prioritizing domestic arms manufacturing and comprehensive digitalization efforts for weapons accounting, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Oct. 12.
“The Minister of Strategic Industries has already presented reports to me on several fronts: armor, missiles, and ATGMs. Today, at the staff meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovations presented a report on EW – electronic warfare. We are developing a comprehensive program for all these directions with clear timelines and volumes,” he said late on Oct. 12.
The announcement comes at a time of uncertainty surrounding future U.S. support for Ukraine. Washington has contributed the vast majority of defensive capabilities such as aerial defense platforms and modern artillery systems.
While President Biden’s administration has signaled unwavering support in public, positive rhetoric will be bound by legislative realities as the bitterly divided U.S. Congress struggles to elect its next speaker.
Zelensky has emphasized digitalization to help Ukraine shake off pervasive corruption in its government and military.
“Digitalization will provide a clear understanding of how our warriors are being supplied and where deficits are occurring and how they are being filled. This is crucial so that we can promptly show every one of our partners information about each unit of weaponry supplied. It's essential that the reports here in Kyiv match the actual facts on the front lines.”
In September, Zelensky fired Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov after serious criticism from the international news media and Ukrainian civil society groups, citing the need for new approaches towards the war.
Lance Luo (Li P. Luo) is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. Previously, he worked at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Hromadske Television in Kyiv. He also spent three years in finance and strategy consulting. Mr. Luo graduated from the University of Southern California and serves as an arbitrator at FINRA.
Daria Shulzhenko
