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.
Grain ship TQ Samsun in the Black Sea on July 17, 2023, in Istanbul, Turkey. Russia announced that it withdrew from the Grain Corridor Agreement, which was signed last year under the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations, which ensures the transportation of millions of tons of grain stuck in Ukrainian ports to the world. (Photo: Sercan Ozkurnazli/dia images via Getty Images)
The Russian Black Sea Fleet will likely take an active role in blocking trade routes, but the blockade will be at risk from Ukrainian surface drones and cruise missiles, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on July 20.
The British intelligence analysis noted that Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17 effectively canceled security assurances for the passage of cargo vessels.
The decision was likely made some time ago as the agreement did not serve the Kremlin's interest any longer, the ministry wrote.
The analysis said that Russia seeks to mask this with disinformation, claiming that civilian ships are at risk from Ukrainian mines and that Kyiv was using the grain corridor for military goals, without providing any evidence.
The Russian Defense Ministry declared on July 19 that as of July 20, all vessels sailing to Ukrainian ports will be considered "potential carriers of military cargo" and therefore legitimate targets.
According to the White House, the Kremlin is considering attacking civilian vessels on the Black Sea and then putting the blame on Ukraine. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said that Russian forces laid additional sea mines in approaches toward Ukrainian ports.
Russia's recent withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17 sparked international condemnation and fears of rising food prices. The deal, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products during the ongoing full-scale Russian invasion.
Following the termination of the agreement, Russia launched three consecutive strikes over the past three days against Odesa, damaging the port infrastructure and destroying 60,000 tons of grain.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Daria Shulzhenko
