"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.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas arrives at the 2024 NATO summit in Washington, DC, US on July 10, 2024. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
The European Union has secured two-thirds of the 2 million artillery rounds pledged to Ukraine, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on April 14.
"I'm happy to see we already have two-thirds of my ammunition initiative together," Kallas told reporters ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, referring to an initiative to provide Ukraine with 2 million high-caliber rounds worth 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion).
The initiative seems to be progressing, as Kallas said on April 3 that the EU had obtained only around half of the needed amount from its members.
The 2 million shells are part of a broader proposal initially suggested by Kallas for a 40-billion-euro ($45.6 billion) defense fund for Ukraine. This more ambitious plan has yet to gain full consensus among EU leaders.
The EU foreign policy chief stressed that the European bloc needs to do more, noting that European assistance commitments for this year are already greater than for 2024.
"European countries have already committed to 23 billion euros ($26 billion), which is more than last year," Kallas said. "But we also need to put pressure on Russia so that they would stop this war."
"It’s been a month since Ukraine agreed to an unconditional ceasefire. We haven’t seen the same from Russia," she said. The comments come shortly after Russia launched a deadly missile attack against the Ukrainian city of Sumy on Palm Sunday on April 13, killing over 30 people and injuring over 100.
Kallas noted that the EU foreign ministers would discuss the consequences for Russia after its latest attacks on Ukrainian civilians over the weekend.
“To want peace, it takes two. To want war, it takes only one," she said. "Russia clearly wants war. Everyone who wants the killing to stop must apply maximum pressure on Russia.”
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Dominic Culverwell
