"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.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks to KSK Navy Special Forces on board the frigate Hessen during his inaugural visit to the German Navy on Feb. 21, 2023, at Eckernfoerde, Germany. (Morris MacMatzen via Getty Images)
Washington is negotiating with Berlin and Warsaw on conducting joint military exercises in Poland in response to the Russian threat to NATO's eastern border, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on television on Feb. 27.
The minister didn't provide details on the maneuvers, saying they are currently "under review."
According to Pistorius, cited by Deutsche Welle, military drills in a country bordering Ukraine would send a "very clear" signal to NATO allies, as well as to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
NATO is "far from being as weak as Putin has long believed," Pistorius said, insisting that the alliance is "much stronger and more cohesive than last year" before the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine in February 2022.
"For Eastern European countries such as Poland, the Baltics, Slovakia, and others, it is important to see that Germany, as the prominent European member of the alliance, and the U.S., as a transatlantic partner, are fulfilling their defense obligations," the German defense minister added.
Pistorius' statement comes amid joint naval exercises that Russia, China, and South Africa launched just ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it was "deeply concerned" about the drills and urged South Africa "not to encourage Russia's further aggression."
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.
