"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.
President Joe Biden addresses the Classroom to Career Summit in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden directed the Pentagon to "continue its surge" of weapons deliveries to Ukraine in response to Russia's mass attack on the country on Christmas Day, he announced on Dec. 25.
Russia launched 78 missiles and 106 drones on Dec. 25, striking multiple cities and causing damage. Kharkiv endured "massive fire" from ballistic missiles, leaving six injured, according to local authorities.
Biden condemned the attacks and pledged continued support for Ukraine until it defeats Russian aggression.
“The Ukrainian people deserve to live in peace and safety,” Biden said.
He added that hundreds of air defense missiles have already been sent to Ukraine in recent months, with additional deliveries underway.
Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to bolstering Ukraine’s defenses. “The United States will continue to work tirelessly to strengthen Ukraine’s position in its defense against Russian forces,” he said.
The strikes on Dec. 25 caused significant damage, prompting emergency blackouts in several Oblasts of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, confirmed that Russian strikes severely damaged equipment at thermal power plants, though the locations were not disclosed.
President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Ukraine peace envoy, Keith Kellogg, also criticized the assault, calling Christmas a “time of peace.”
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.
Sonya Bandouil
