"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.
A Bundeswehr Dachs armored engineer vehicle stands near the scene of the fire on August 5, 2022, in Berlin. (Christophe Gateau/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The German government reported on March 24 it handed Ukraine three engineering vehicles Dachs for the first time as well as additional MG3 machine guns and drone detection systems.
Germany has also delivered spare parts for Leopard 2 main battle tanks and Marder infantry fighting vehicles, according to the report.
In its weekly update, the German government wrote that it sent Ukraine 70 more MG3 machine guns for Leopard tanks, Marder, and Dachs vehicles, increasing the total number to 100.
Kyiv has also received 90 drone detection systems, including those 30 Berlin delivered over the past week.
From Jan. 1, 2022, to March 20, 2023, Germany provided Ukraine with about 2.7 billion euros ($2.9 billion) in military aid, according to the German government.
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.
