"(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.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the first G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting on Feb, 20, 2025 at Nasrec Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty Images)
China supports the "recent consensus" reached by U.S. and Russian officials regarding the war in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement published Feb. 21.
The statement came days after a U.S. delegation sat down with high-level Russian officials in Saudi Arabi on Feb. 18 to discuss ending the war against Ukraine — without the participation of Ukraine itself.
"China supports all efforts committed to peace, including the recent consensus reached by the United States and Russia, and hopes that all parties concerned can find a sustainable and lasting solution that takes into account each other's concerns," the ministry's statement read.
The statement echoed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks at the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg on Feb. 20. Wang also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting.
Beijing is prepared "to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis," the ministry said.
China has remained a key ally of Russia throughout the full-scale invasion, deepening economic ties and becoming Moscow's leading source of dual-use goods— equipment the Russian military uses in its war against Ukraine.
Despite these ties, China has insisted it is a neutral party to the war and has long positioned itself as a potential mediator in the conflict. Chinese officials have offered to host a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Feb. 13.
In recent days, the Trump administration has upended years of U.S. foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine. Trump spoke to Putin directly in a phone call on Feb. 12, before calling President Volodymyr Zelensky later that day. Soon after, the U.S. and Russia held talks on Ukraine without Ukraine.
Along with ending Moscow's political isolation, Trump also began parroting Kremlin talking points in his public comments. He repeated false claims about Ukrainian elections and called Zelensky a "dictator" on social media.
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.
Chris York
