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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. People drink sparkling wine, waves flags and sing songs as they celebrate the liberation of the city of Kherson in Independence Square on November 12, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ed Ram/Getty Images)
According to a poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) at the request of the Kyiv Independent, 47.1% of Ukrainians consider it "completely unacceptable" to agree to territorial concessions and give up on NATO membership as a prerequisite to ending the war.
Only 8.2% said they would "easily agree" to this scenario, while 38.1% of respondents called this option difficult but "generally acceptable."
6.2% of respondents found it difficult to answer the question, and 0.4% declined to answer.
In the age brackets between 18 and 29, over 50% of respondents find territorial concessions and a refusal from NATO membership in exchange for ending the war "completely unacceptable." In Ukraine's east, 49.5% see this option as difficult but "generally acceptable."
The survey, commissioned by the Kyiv Independent, was conducted between Feb. 5 and March 10. 2,029 people took part, and the margin of error is a maximum of 2.1%.
On March 10, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Kyiv would need to make territorial concessions as part of any agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine. Foreign Ministry said that the country wasn't officially asked by Washington to agree to territorial concessions.
NATO membership has also become increasingly elusive. "You can forget about (NATO membership)," U.S. President Donald Trump previously said.
Russian forces continue to occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory. The Ukrainian population under Russian occupation has been subjected to systematic repression, torture, and abuse.
President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that to end the "hot phase of the war," NATO would have to offer membership to Ukrainian territory under government control, with the invitation recognizing the country's internationally recognized borders.
Bloomberg reported on March 10 that Russian President Vladimir Putin remains unwilling to compromise.
Putin has deliberately set "maximalist" demands on territory, peacekeepers, and Ukraine's neutrality, knowing they will likely be unacceptable to Kyiv and European nations, the outlet wrote.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
