"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.
A worker standing on the uploading dock of Cavaou LNG terminal in Fos-sur-Mer, France, on June 22, 2023. (Clement Mahoudeau/AFP via Getty Images)
The European Commission will not propose implementing a ban on Russian liquified natural gas (LNG) imports in its upcoming sanctions package amid concern among member states about first securing an alternative from other countries, including the United States, EU diplomats told Reuters on Jan. 29.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Europe began to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels to avoid financing the Kremlin’s war chest. Despite these efforts, Europe's imports of Russian LNG, which is largely not subject to sanctions, have soared to record levels in 2024.
"First you have to have a deal because otherwise you will be left without gas from Russia and without the U.S.," one diplomat told Reuters.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested replacing Russian LNG with U.S. exports in a phone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Nov. 8. On Jan. 23, Trump said he would guarantee supplies of U.S. LNG to Europe, although he did not provide a timeline or specify the amount of exports.
"The general idea was floated by the Commission in confessionals in order to test the waters... Apparently one or more member (states) signalled enough opposition for the Commission not to deem it opportune to propose such a measure now," another European diplomat told Reuters.
Bloomberg reported on Jan. 14, citing undisclosed officials, that the EU was considering a gradual ban on Russian LNG, but eventually settled on proposing new restrictions on Russian aluminum as part of its next round of sanctions.
On Jan 28, the Financial Times (FT) reported, citing a report by Belgian, German, and Ukrainian NGOs, that German imports of Russian LNG via other EU countries continue to rise despite restrictions on direct shipments.
According to FT, Belgium, Spain, and France receive Russian LNG cargos, which they later re-export to other countries. This makes it difficult to trace the origin and allows Germany to import Russian LNG even after banning its ports from receiving Russian LNG shipments.
The European Union imposed its first major restrictions on Russian gas, including LNG, in its 14th sanctions package in June. Russia still remains Europe's second-largest importer of LNG, after the U.S.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
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