"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.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attends the closing press conference during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine on June 16, 2024 in Lucerne, Switzerland. (Sedat Suna/Getty Images)
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Jan. 6 that he will step down as leader of the ruling Liberal Party but remain in office until the party selects a new leader.
Under Trudeau’s leadership, Canada has been a strong ally of Ukraine, providing 19.5 billion Canadian dollars ($13.5 billion) in assistance, including 4.5 billion Canadian dollars ($3.1 billion) in military aid.
"This country deserves a real choice in the next election, and it has become clear to me that if I’m having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election," he said.
Trudeau has faced mounting pressure from his party, particularly after the abrupt resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Dec. 16.
Public support for the prime minister has waned over the past year, and the opposition Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, has consistently outperformed him in polls.
The next federal election is scheduled for October 2025, but a snap election may occur as opposition parties have pledged to bring a no-confidence vote when parliament reconvenes on Jan. 27.
Trudeau made history as Canada's youngest Prime Minister when he was elected in 2015. As a hereditary politician, he is the son of Pierre Trudeau, who held the office from 1968 to 1979 and again from 1980 to 1984.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
