"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.
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 Azerbaijan and Russia flags. (Oleksii Liskonih/Getty Images)
Azerbaijan will change the rules for the temporary stay of Russian citizens on its territory in the coming days after Russia announced stricter rules for the stay of foreigners, the Azerbaijan State News Agency reported on Dec. 28.
"As in all foreign policy issues... the Azerbaijani side will proceed in accordance with the principles of parity and reciprocity," Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ayhan Hajizade told the media when asked about Russia's new regulations.
Russia previously announced that, as of Jan. 1, 2025, the temporary stay of foreign citizens without visas will be limited to 90 days within a calendar year instead of 90 days within 180 days. Foreigners will also be obliged to register at their destination within seven working days of crossing into Russia.
Baku is considering these new rules from the perspective of the rights of Azerbaijani citizens, Hajizade said without revealing details of Azerbaijan's planned changes.
Azerbaijan is one of the countries whose citizens can enter Russia for a limited time period without a visa.
The two countries' close economic and political ties are being tested after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed on Dec. 25 in Kazakhstan after allegedly coming under fire from Russian air defenses in Chechnya.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to apologize for the crash that killed 38 people without explicitly admitting responsibility.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Oleg Sukhov
