"(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.
Illustrative purposes: The EU and Ukrainian flags are displayed during a press conference in Kyiv on May 9, 2024. (STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on May 1 that the European Union is preparing a 17th round of sanctions against Russia, aligning with a new U.S. sanctions push aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow.
"We Europeans will accompany this American (sanctions) initiative with a 17th package of sanctions, and I committed yesterday to (U.S. Senator) Lindsey Graham that we would try to coordinate both the substance and the timing of these two packages of sanctions," Barrot said.
Graham has rallied bipartisan support in Washington for additional measures against Russia, including tariffs on countries purchasing Russian energy, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Barrot contrasted Ukraine’s recent diplomatic steps with Moscow’s intransigence.
Ukraine "accepted an unconditional ceasefire and yesterday it agreed to conclude an agreement on critical minerals with the United States," he said. He added that the deal "corresponds, I would say, to Ukraine's expectations of engaging in economic cooperation with the United States, but also with other countries." Barrot also suggested France could pursue a similar agreement, given its expertise in rare earth minerals.
"Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin's Russia has made no effort, has sent no sign that it is ready for the ceasefire or the peace that President Donald Trump aspires to, and that the Europeans and, of course, the Ukrainians aspire to," Barrot said, according to AFP.
Speaking after a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Barrot said both sides held "an unfiltered exchange that allowed us to coordinate closely." State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed the talks, saying, "President Trump is focused on halting the senseless bloodshed in Ukraine and affirmed a U.S. commitment to working closely with France and other European partners to secure a lasting peace."
Barrot emphasized that this moment is critical for Europe, referencing French President Emmanuel Macron’s long-standing call for European strategic autonomy and a stronger European pillar within NATO.
He also urged Washington to ease tariffs imposed under the Trump administration, calling for "de-escalation so that we can return to the situation that preceded decisions taken by the Trump administration in the interest of both the United States and Europe."
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Katie Marie Davies
