Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
The Moldovan and European Union flags are displayed on the Government House of Moldova on May 31, 2023 in Chisinau, Moldova. Moldova is due to host the second European Political Community Summit tomorrow, where the ongoing Ukraine conflict is expected to dominate the agenda. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
The European Commission and Moldova signed a two-year strategy for energy independence and resilience, allocating 250 million euros ($258 million) to Chisinau in 2025, the commission said on Feb. 4.
The Russian energy giant halted the gas flow to Moldova in January, just as Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas through its territory. Gazprom claimed its decision was based on an alleged unpaid debt by Chisinau rather than transit issues.
The EU's support for Moldova, 100 million euros ($103 million) of which will be provided by mid-April, aims at "decoupling Moldova from the insecurities of Russian energy supply and fully integrating it in the EU energy market," the commission's statement read.
Moldova, currently leading talks on EU accession, has already pivoted toward European gas supplies but receives electricity from the Transnistria Kuciurgan power plant, which, in turn, is reliant on Russian gas.
The EU's offer to Transnistria is subject to conditions that the local authorities take steps on "fundamental freedoms and human rights" and that the aid will not involve any "energy intensive activities."
As the first step of the strategy, the EU has already provided 30 million euros ($31 million) to Moldova that were announced on Jan. 27. The final step of the plan will entail investments in Moldova's energy resilience and independence, which will be included in the EU's Growth Plan for Moldova and implemented by 2026.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Oleg Sukhov
