"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.
Norwegian defense company Kongsberg opened a new missile factory in Norway on June 20 amid rising global tensions and soaring demand from countries worldwide.
The $61 million facility in the town with which the company shares its name will produce the company's Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and Joint Strike Missile (JSM).
"Our new missile production facility directly addresses the strong and long-term demand for our unique technology and the critical need to strengthen collective defense capabilities," Kongsberg CEO Geir Haoy said in a statement.
"When we decided to invest in a new missile production facility, we already saw significant demand from current and new customers.
"The present geopolitical situation has heightened the need for our defense capabilities and technology even further – both in Norway and internationally."
More than 20 NATO member states will hit or surpass the bloc's target of allocating at least 2% of GDP to defense spending this year, up from fewer than 10 five years ago.
Air defense systems are in high demand, particularly with many countries sending units to Ukraine, but the new Kongsberg factory demonstrates the increased demand for other forms of weapons.
Kongsberg's NSM is an anti-ship missile first deployed in 2012 by the Norwegian Navy and is also used by 14 countries, including the U.S., Poland, Germany, and the U.K.
The JSM is a cruise missile employed by F-35 fighter jets flown by Norway, Japan, and the U.S.
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Chris York
