Russia supports a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but only with "due consideration of nuances", said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
"This topic has long been raised by the Ukrainian side," Peskov said, quoted by TASS. "And immediately after it was proposed by the (President Donald Trump) administration, it was supported by President (Vladimir) Putin with the caveat that it is very difficult to discuss details if the many nuances surrounding the concept of a ceasefire are not answered."
Russia has repeatedly said that the introduction of a lasting ceasefire depends on the creation of mechanisms to monitor and maintain such a measure, Reuters recalls.
Earlier today, French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted a joint US-European plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine to be drawn up "in the coming days and hours," accompanied by "large-scale economic sanctions" in the event of its violation.
"The Russians must say "Yes." Not three days to entertain the public, if I may say so, around May 9 and have a parade. Not — in 30 days", he stressed to Polska Television. "My wish is that in the coming hours and days we will all be able to reach a commitment to a ceasefire, stating that if one of the parties violates it — large-scale economic sanctions will follow", he added.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country's intervention in Russia's war against Ukraine was justified and stressed that Pyongyang had exercised its sovereign rights to defend "brotherly people", Reuters reported, citing North Korea's state news agency KCNA.
"Our participation in the conflict was justified and this is the sovereign right of our republic," Kim said. "I believe that the brave soldiers who participated in the Kursk operation are heroes and the embodiment of national honor," he added.
The North Korean leader also said that he would not hesitate to authorize the use of military force if the United States continued with "military provocations" against Russia.
Pyongyang officially confirmed only in late April that it had sent more than 10,000 soldiers and weapons to Russia. Bilateral military cooperation has grown significantly since the conclusion of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty signed by Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin last year, Reuters recalls.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the prime ministers of Britain and Poland - Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk - will visit Kiev on Monday to show "unwavering" their support for Ukraine and will reiterate the US call for a "complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire", Agence France-Presse reported.
Following a show of force by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who welcomed around two dozen foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to Moscow's Red Square yesterday, the heads of state of France, Germany, Britain and Poland will visit Ukraine together for the first time.
"We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine. We will increase our pressure on the Russian military machine until Russia agrees to a lasting ceasefire," they said in a joint statement.
The visit, described as "historic", comes four days after the election of the new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who already visited Paris and Warsaw on Wednesday – day after taking office.
In Kiev, the four, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, will hold a virtual meeting with other leaders of the so-called "Coalition of the Willing".
They will inform the other countries about "progress made regarding a future coalition uniting air, land and sea forces to assist in the reconstruction of the Ukrainian armed forces after a possible peace agreement and to build confidence in the future peace," their declaration states.
Several thousand Slovak citizens protested last night in Bratislava and other cities against Prime Minister Robert Fico's participation in the May 9 parade in Moscow, DPA reported.
The largest number of people gathered in the capital Bratislava. One of the organizers of the protest wrote on "Facebook": "May 9 is Europe Day – but not for everyone. Robert Fico will spend it next to a war criminal," recalling the arrest warrant issued for Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court.
Fico was the only leader of a European Union country to attend the event. The left-wing nationalist prime minister has been repeatedly criticized for his pro-Russian stance, DPA recalls.
The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kalas also sharply criticized the Slovak prime minister. "Anyone who supports freedom, independence and European values should be in Ukraine today, not in Moscow. Fico is on the wrong side," she said, quoted by the Slovak news agency TASR.
The Slovak prime minister defended his presence on Red Square on Facebook, saying that his trip was a tribute to those who died liberating Slovakia from Nazi rule.