"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.
Lawmaker and head of the Servant of the People's party David Arakhamia talks to the media as he arrives for the Renew Europe Leader's pre-summit meeting, in Brussels, on June 29, 2023. (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP via Getty Images)
David Arakhamia, the parliamentary leader of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, was among the few foreign dignitaries that attended U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration last week, the Independent reported on Jan. 26.
Arakhamia was attending the event along with former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, among others, the Independent wrote.
The lawmaker declined to comment on his presence at the inauguration when approached by the Kyiv Independent.
Arakhamia also attended an event called Stars and Stripes & Union Jack party on Jan. 17 before the inauguration, alongside the innermost circles of the Trump administration, the Independent claimed, citing unnamed sources.
Following the event, Arakhamia told the media that he expects a formal Ukrainian delegation to meet with the U.S. president’s team next month.
After his inauguration on Jan. 20, Trump reiterated his intent to pursue a peace deal in Ukraine but offered few specifics.
Trump has also voiced his intent to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a potential peace deal in Ukraine.
The U.S. president told reporters on Jan. 20 that Putin is "destroying Russia by not making a deal" while acknowledging doubts about Moscow's willingness to negotiate. The Trump administration's Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, is also expected to visit Ukraine and meet Ukrainian officials.
Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.
Martin Fornusek
