"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.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a statement to the media following the win of Donald Trump in U.S. presidential elections on Novю 6, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. Many people in Germany see the outcome with anxiety, fearing a negative impact for the German economy and its security. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Chancellor Olaf Scholz failed a confidence vote in the Bundestag on Dec. 16, paving the way for early parliamentary elections scheduled for Feb. 23.
Out of 717 lawmakers who participated in the vote, only 207 supported Scholz’s government, matching the size of his Social Democratic Party (SPD) faction. A total of 394 MPs expressed no confidence, while 116 abstained.
The SPD faces criticism for its defense policies, including its refusal to deliver Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine.
According to a leaked draft of the party's election platform, the SPD remains opposed to the missiles, citing that providing them could escalate Germany’s involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine. Scholz has maintained this stance despite calls from Kyiv and other Western allies.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has voiced support for supplying Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
Merz, whose CDU/CSU alliance is leading in the polls ahead of the February election, visited Kyiv and pledged a more assertive approach to arming Ukraine.
"We want your army to be capable of hitting military bases in Russia. Not civilians, not infrastructure, but military targets from which your country is being attacked," Merz said during his visit, although he cautioned that the missiles would not be a “miraculous” solution to the conflict.
The CDU’s election platform reportedly commits to comprehensive support for Ukraine, including diplomatic, financial, humanitarian, and military aid.
Merz has also argued that Germany could lift restrictions on the Taurus missiles without becoming a direct participant in the war, following precedents set by the U.K. and U.S.
As the elections approach, defense and foreign policy are likely to remain central issues, with the CDU positioning itself as a stronger ally to Ukraine compared to Scholz’s SPD.
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.
Martin Fornusek
