Zelenskyy's interview
During a visit to Donbas on 9 April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CNN a Russian invasion is a very real possibility.
"Of course. We know it, from 2014 we know it can be each day," he said. "They are ready, but we are also ready because we are on our land and our territory."
In the same interview, Zelenskyy said that the USA is a"good friend" of Ukraine, but that President Biden "must do more," to deter Russia and help bring this conflict to an end: "If they [the US] see Ukraine in NATO, they have to say it directly, and do it. Not words."
According to Reuters,Ukraine accused the Kremlin on Monday of ignoring its request for talks between the two countries' presidents over a build-up of Russian troops near its border. "The president’s office, of course, made a request to speak with Vladimir Putin. We have not received an answer yet and we very much hope that this is not a refusal of dialogue," it quoted Zelenskyy's press secretary Yuliya Mendel as saying. Russia denied ever receiving such a request.
Donbas
The Russian occupying troops have violated the ceasefire nine times since midnight by firing on the Joint Forces' positions seven times and remotely planting banned POM-2 anti-personnel landmines twice, the Joint Forces Operation HQ said in the evening update.
Separatists fired with banned 82-mm mortars as well as grenade launchers of various systems, heavy machine-guns and small arms.
One Ukrainian serviceman was deadly wounded by gunfire.
According to ex-President Petro Poroshenko, with his sabre rattling at the Ukrainian border, Putin seeks to intimidate the world and force Ukraine to make concessions. He added that Russia feels it can do this because of Ukraine trying to pursue the policy of "pacifying the aggressor" in the past two years, which Poroshenko finds absolutely unacceptable.
Parliament
Parliament will hold two extraordinary sessions on 13 April to discuss utility rates and the coronavirus pandemic.
Education
Foreign universities listed in QS World University Rankings,The Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Academic Ranking of World Universities - World Top 500 Universities and sitting above the 3,000th place, except for those with any connection to the aggressor state, will now be able to open their regional offices in Ukraine.