"(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.
North Korean soldiers in Pyongyang, North Korea, on July 8, 2019. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Kim Won Jin/AFP via Getty Images)
Washington is "concerned" by recent reports that Pyongyang had sent its soldiers to join Russian occupying forces in Ukraine, White House National Council spokesperson Sean Savett said on Oct. 15.
"Such a move would also indicate a new level of desperation for Russia as it continues to suffer significant casualties on the battlefield in its brutal war against Ukraine," Savett said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently accused North Korea of sending personnel to support Russia and said that Moscow plans to "actually involve" Pyongyang in the war in the coming months.
While the Kremlin has denied the reports, there is mounting evidence that the Russian-North-Korean cooperation has reached a new level. A Western diplomat familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 15 Pyongyang has sent 10,000 soldiers to Russia, but it is unclear what kind of soldiers they are.
The two countries have deepened military ties during the full-scale war, with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signing a strategic partnership agreement in June.
North Korea has previously supplied Russian forces with artillery shells and ballistic missiles, both extensively deployed against Ukrainian troops and cities.
Savett commented that the transfer of soldiers would mark a significant shift in the Russian-North-Korean defense ties.
Chris York
