Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky greets European Council and European Commission presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 9, 2022. (Charles Michel/Twitter)
President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Brussels with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, heading straight to the European Parliament, where he is due to give an in-person speech.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, who visited Kyiv for the historic Ukraine-EU Summit on Feb. 3, greeted Zelensky as he landed.
“Welcome home, welcome to the EU,” Michel tweeted, attaching a photo showing Zelensky’s arrival.
Zelensky is set to join the 28 EU leaders at their summit, attending it for the first time in person after participating in most of them virtually last year.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola referred to Zelensky’s arrival at the Parliament "historic day for Europe.”
Zelensky’s first in-person visit to the European Parliament since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion comes amid his second known international trip, where he has asked for fighter jets from the leaders of the U.K., France, and Germany “as soon as possible.”
The Ukrainian leader is expected to ask for more weapons – including longer-range ones – and a fast start to the country’s EU accession talks. At the Ukraine-EU Summit held on Feb. 3, the EU leaders remained vague on the timeline of Ukraine’s EU bid, with von der Leyen saying that there were no "no rigid timeliness" on when Ukraine would get its long-dreamt membership.
Zelensky said that he believes Ukraine should start the accession talks this year, having officially gained candidate status in June 2022.
Ukraine’s road to full EU membership is expected to take years. Ukraine has suffered from endemic corruption, and the slow progress of judicial reforms were a cause for concern before Russia plunged the country into a full-scale war.
It often takes many years for candidate countries to have accession negotiations opened by the EU. Macron said in May 2022 that it could be “decades” for Ukraine to join the bloc. While Ukraine’s hopes of a fast track to full EU membership did not materialize, the bloc on Feb. 3 hailed Ukraine's "considerable efforts" in recent months toward a potential membership.
Nevertheless, Zelensky's visit to the European Parliament and his close relationship with the leaders is highly symbolic, sending a strong message to Moscow that the West is united with Ukraine.
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.
