"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.
Washington and its partners are considering additional sanctions if the parties do not observe a ceasefire, with political and technical negotiations between Europe and the U.S. intensifying since last week, Reuters' source said.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a visit to Wolfspeed, a semiconductor manufacturer, as he kicks off his Investing in America Tour on March 28, 2023, in Durham, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden has officially confirmed he will run for re-election in 2024, launching his campaign in a video on April 25.
"Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours," Biden tweeted, making "Let's finish the job" his bid's slogan.
In the video, Biden said now is a pivotal moment when freedoms and rights were at stake, mentioning Social Security, woman's health care, and voting rights as the key issues for the 2024 election.
"This is not a time to be complacent," he added. "That's why I'm running."
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been charged in New York with business fraud, announced his bid for the next presidential elections in November last year. Both Biden and Trump currently remain favorites to win their nominations.
Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and at the beginning of the invasion, the Biden administration was initially slow to provide military aid to Kyiv and impose harsh sanctions on Russia.
However, during Biden's time as president, the U.S. has provided more than $35.1 billion in defense aid to Ukraine. Biden also made a surprise visit to Kyiv on Feb. 20, his first as president, shortly before the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Trump, on the other hand, has made troubling comments about Russia's war against Ukraine.
Regarding his time in office, Trump said he "got along with (Putin) great" during an interview with Fox News in early March, adding that if he'd still been president, Putin likely wouldn't have invaded Ukraine.
"I could have negotiated," Trump continued. "At worst, I could've made a deal to take over something, there are certain areas that are Russian-speaking areas, frankly, but you could've worked a deal."
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
