"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.
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 EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, speaking to the media at the end of an EU Foreign Affairs Ministers Council on Dec. 16, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
The EU would like to secure unanimous support, but it has alternative plans if Hungary vetoes Ukraine's accession to the bloc, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on May 9.
"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," Kallas told reporters in a visit to Lviv.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been a vocal critic of President Volodymyr Zelensky and has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban on April 22 publicly shared photos of himself marking "against" on a ballot in a national poll opposing Ukraine's accession to the EU.
"Ukraine has its own homework, and the EU also has to do its homework... we are working with the Hungarian government," Kallas said.
Hungarian officials have repeatedly threatened to undermine Ukraine's EU candidacy and EU support for Ukraine. Hungary has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU aid packages for Kyiv.
"But if that doesn't work, we're already working on a plan B, but I won't reveal it. We're still in the process," Kallas said.
European officials have denounced Hungary for aligning with Russia. European officials, including Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, have suggested stripping Hungary of its voting power within the bloc.
"The accession process, or as we call it, the reunification process, is important not only for Ukraine, but also for the European Union," Kallas said.
Hungary maintains positive relations with Russia in contrast with other EU members. On March 26, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto visited Moscow to discuss continued economic cooperation between the two countries.
"Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union provides for the possibility of withdrawing a member state's voting rights if membership endangers the security of Europe and that of the other members.... that's exactly what (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban is doing," Tsahkna said in an interview released on April 5.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Chris York
