"(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 attends a joint press conference with Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro following talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on Feb. 16, 2022. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / AFP)
Brazil is obligated to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he attends the Group of 20 nations (G20) summit in Rio de Janeiro next month, Ukraine's Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin told Reuters in an interview published Oct. 14.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2023 issued a warrant for Putin's arrest due to his role in the deportation of Ukrainian children. Brazil is a party to the ICC's Rome Statute and therefore required to detain Putin if he enters the country.
Intelligence reports indicate that Putin may attend the upcoming summit, Kostin told Reuters.
"(I)t's important for the international community to stand united and hold Putin accountable," Kostin said.
Brazil issued a standard invitation to Putin for the summit, which will convene heads of state of G20 nations in Rio de Janeiro Nov. 18-19. There has been no indication that Putin plans to attend, two Brazilian government officials told Reuters.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Oct. 14 that no decision has been made as to Putin's attendance at the conference.
In light of "information that Putin may attend the G20 summit in Brazil, I would like to reiterate that it's an obligation for the Brazilian authorities as a state party of the Rome Statute to arrest him if he dares to visit," Kostin said.
"I truly hope that Brazil will arrest him, reaffirming its status as a democracy and a state governed by the rule of law."
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in September 2023 that the decision to detain Putin at the G20 would be left to his country's judiciary.
Putin visited Mongolia, an ICC member state, in September of this year, his first such visit since his arrest warrant was made public. Despite Mongolia's obligation under international law to arrest Putin, the Russian president received a warm welcome in Ulaanbaatar.
Ukrainian lawmakers described Putin's Mongolia visit as "a well-planned provocation" meant to show his indifference to the rule of law.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Alice Autin
