"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.
Emmanuel Macron, France's president, during an official welcoming ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal, on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. (Zed Jameson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The United States' frustration over stalled peace talks on the war in Ukraine should be aimed solely at Russian President Vladimir Putin, not Kyiv, French President Emmanuel Macron said on April 24, the French television network BFM TV reported.
His remarks came after a Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv killed at least 12 people and injured 90 others, including at least six children. The April 24 strike, described by local officials as one of the deadliest in recent weeks, came a day after Moscow demanded Ukraine's formal recognition of Russia’s claim to four partially occupied regions and a halt to Western military support.
Macron added that France continues to “welcome the efforts made by American diplomacy” but emphasized the need to “recall the facts.”
“The position of France is clear and will not change. We stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity in accordance with international law,” Macron said. “We will continue to defend the Ukrainian people’s right to live in peace on their territory and within their internationally recognized borders.”
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine told reporters that Russia’s ongoing strikes were undermining diplomatic efforts. “With more strikes on Ukraine, it seems more like Russia is slowing down peace efforts,” he said on April 24, according to Reuters.
“The principle of Ukraine’s territorial integrity is not a point that can be negotiated,” Lemoine added, responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for refusing to cede Crimea.
The U.S. has been actively pushing a ceasefire, with Trump saying the April 24 attack on Kyiv was “not necessary,” and asking Putin to “get the peace deal done.” His proposals, which reportedly include U.S. recognition of Crimea as Russian and barring Ukraine from NATO, have been met with concern in Europe and resistance in Kyiv.
Peace talks remain stalled. A ministerial meeting on April 23 between Ukraine, the U.S., and European allies in London was downgraded after Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped the session. Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to visit Moscow on April 25 for further discussions with Putin.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Kateryna Denisova
