"(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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanges documents with Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko during their bilateral meeting at the Grand Kremlin Palace, March 13, 2025 (Contributor / Getty Images)
Belarus will not formally merge with Russia in the near future, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said on March 14 while addressing the Russian Federation Council.
"If we are going to burst through this open door, we will ruin everything we have done. It is necessary to go calmly, step by step," Lukashenko said.
In early January, independent Russian media Meduza reported, citing sources close to the Kremlin, that Putin may revisit plans to formally absorb Belarus once the war against Ukraine is resolved.
Despite his claim of maintaining relations with a range og global actors including China, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the EU, Lukashenko said that Minsk will "always side with Moscow."
"It can't be otherwise. Belarus will never leave Russia alone, just as Russia will never leave Belarus," he added, highlighting what he described as "open fraternal relations" between the two countries.
Lukashenko's visit to Russia marks his first trip since securing a seventh presidential term in an election widely denounced as a sham. On March 13, he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Following their talks, Lukashenko and Putin signed a joint statement pledging to expand bilateral trade, economic, and investment cooperation.
Belarus has been largely cut off from the West following Lukashenko's violent crackdown on mass protests in 2020 against fraudulent election results.
Since then, his regime has further curtailed political freedoms and deepened its alignment with Moscow, providing logistical and military support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
Even before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin reportedly had devised a plan for the "creeping annexation" of Belarus by 2030.
The plan outlined steps for "harmonizing" Russian and Belarusian laws, "coordinated foreign and defense policy," and economic integration based on Russian interests.
President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Feb. 14 that Russia is once again building up troops in Belarus, possibly in preparation for large-scale operations against NATO countries.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
