"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"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.
Ukrainian refugees living in Poland are seen during Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations in Gdansk, Poland, on Aug. 24, 2023 (Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Czechia and the Polish presidency of the EU Council are developing a decision on the status of Ukrainians under temporary protection after a ceasefire is declared or the war ends, Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan told Czech news website Novinky on Feb. 18.
Prague and Warsaw are seeking to prepare a "rough version of the proposal," as the decision should be made later at the EU level, Rakusan said.
In the event of a ceasefire or the end of the war in Ukraine, the Czechia will automatically stop granting temporary status to Ukrainians, but they will still be able to stay in the country for a certain period, a year or a year and a half, according to Rakusan.
To continue staying in the country, Ukrainians must re-register under a different status, just like other foreigners, he added.
The EU also plans to create special centers for Ukrainians to mediate their return to their homes. According to the minister, discussions have already occurred in Germany, Poland, and Austria. Such a center will also be established in the .
"(The centers) would offer work in Ukraine, accommodation, life prospects and conditions under which people would return. At the same time, they would also help Ukrainians who decide to stay here by organizing their relocation to another country," Rakusan added.
Czechia is one of the three European countries with the largest number of Ukrainian refugees. According to the European Commission, as of December 2024, the country has hosted about 390,000 Ukrainians who fled due to Russia's full-scale invasion.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Martin Fornusek
