"(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.
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.
US President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau onstage during a G7 declaration of joint support for Ukraine on July 12, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. (Photo by Paul Ellis - Pool/Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden said at the Vilnius summit on July 12 that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin was wrong to expect NATO to break as it stands more united than ever.
"When Putin and his craven lust for land and power unleashed this brutal war in Ukraine, he was betting NATO would break apart... He thought our unity would shatter at first testing. He thought democratic leaders would be weak. But he thought wrong," Biden said.
The president emphasized that Ukraine remains free and independent with the support of a U.S.-led coalition of over 50 countries.
"We will not waver... our commitment to Ukraine will not weaken. We will stand for liberty and freedom today, tomorrow, and as long as it takes," the president reaffirmed the U.S. backing for the besieged country.
NATO leaders and other partners convened in Vilnius, Lithuania for a two-day summit to address the Russo-Ukrainian War and Kyiv's membership bid among other topics.
While Ukraine has not received the much-desired invitation to join NATO, the allies have pledged to scale up their military support. A number of partners, including the U.K., France, Germany, Canada, and Norway have presented fresh military aid.
The Alliance also agreed to drop the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and introduced a three-part package to bring Ukraine closer to NATO.
Members of the Group of Seven (G7) announced a joint framework for bilateral support to ensure Ukraine can defend itself against present and future Russian aggression.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Alexander Query
