"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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. A participant in a Ukrainian military training exercise takes aim during shooting practice in Kharkiv Oblast on April 11, 2025. (Viacheslav Madiievskyi/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ukrainian troops were ordered to cease firing on Russian positions shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an "Easter truce" on April 19, a senior Ukrainian military officer told the BBC's Russia service.
Putin earlier said he ordered a temporary ceasefire on Easter weekend, halting all military action from 6 p.m. Moscow time on April 19 until midnight on April 21.
Minutes after the start of the truce, Ukrainian units received orders to cease fire on Russian positions, a senior military officer reportedly told the BBC.
The officer said that troops were also ordered to document photo and video evidence of any Russian ceasefire violations and to return fire if necessary.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims at the time of publication.
Following Putin's call for an Easter truce, the Ukrainian government responded with skepticism, citing continued attacks and Moscow's track record on ceasefire agreements.
"As for yet another attempt by Putin to play with people's lives — an air raid alert is sounding across Ukraine right now," President Volodymyr Zelensky said following the announcement.
Zelensky noted that air defense units were responding to ongoing Russian attacks and that Shahed-type drones had been spotted over Ukrainian territory.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Putin's word was not a guarantee of a truce and called attention to Moscow's persistent refusal to accept a full ceasefire.
"Now Putin has made statements about his alleged readiness for a ceasefire. 30 hours instead of 30 days," Sybiha said. "Unfortunately, we have considerable experience when his statements did not coincide with his actions. We know that his words cannot be believed, and we will look at actions, not words."
Ukraine has been willing to commit to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire on all hostilities since March 11, Sybiha said.
The suggested Easter ceasefire follows previous Russian attacks on Ukraine during major Orthodox holidays, including a deadly strike on Sumy on Palm Sunday that killed 35 people and an attack on Kharkiv during Good Friday that killed one person and injured 120.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Anna Fratsyvir
