"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.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
A flag of Austria is seen in Warsaw, Poland on Sept. 13, 2022. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Austria is open to hosting Ukraine peace talks, Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine Arad Benko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on Feb. 21.
With U.S.-led peace talks to stop Russia's war against Ukraine looming, various countries have put themselves forward as potential hosts for negotiations.
"(Austrian) Chancellor (Karl) Nehammer emphasized that as the capital of a neutral country, Vienna is always ready to host future peace talks," Benko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine on Feb. 21.
Austria has a history of hosting opposing sides for talks. The country hosted leaders of the U.S. and Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, Benko said.
"Austria, as a neutral country, has offered its good services as a host of negotiations between parties involved. It's important to point out that Austria is also a seat of 52 international organizations including 18 UN organizations," he said.
Austria, a permanently neutral nation under its constitution, hosts various international agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Ukraine and the EU must be involved in the peace talks alongside Russia and the U.S., Benko added, echoing sentiment in Europe that the U.S. should not exclude Europe and Ukraine from peace talks.
Europe must participate in potential peace talks "not only because we are the biggest donors but because Ukraine is a European country fighting for our values and freedom," Benko said.
Nehammer previously proposed Vienna as a site of talks between Kyiv and Moscow in September 2024. The Austrian chancellor reiterated the offer in a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in December.
Nehammer also became the first EU leader to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin following the full-scale invasion in February 2022. He visited Moscow in April 2022, claiming it was his duty to open "humanitarian corridors" as a step towards ending the war.
Other countries that have volunteered to host future peace talks include Turkey, China, and Saudi Arabia.
U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18 for preliminary talks without the participation of Ukraine or Europe. Kyiv continues to insist that no talks about ending Russia's all-out war should be held without Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Oleg Sukhov
