"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.
Veteran Lithuanian politician Andrius Kubilius, first-ever EU defense commissioner talks to the Kyiv Independent on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Feb. 14, 2025. (Olena Zashko/The Kyiv Independent)
The EU "would effectively double the volume of weapons Ukraine receives" by investing in domestic weapons production, EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said on May 4.
"If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin isn’t convinced by (U.S. President Donald) Trump to make peace, we could bring forward more convincing arguments for peace very quickly — by greatly increasing our military support to Ukraine," Kubilius said.
Investment in Ukraine's domestic defense industry has gained popularity among EU leaders as Europe struggles to meet demand for Ukraine's defense needs. The so-called "Danish model" invests in Ukraine's defense industry rather than providing materiel deliveries.
"Until now, the EU and U.S. (have) provided around 40 billion euros ($45 billion) a year of military aid to Ukraine. But we can spend that same amount procuring modern weapons in Ukraine, which would cost about half as much as those made in the EU or U.S.," Kubilius said.
The commissioner called for EU members to utilize the bloc's new Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative to strengthen Ukraine in its fight against Russia's war.
SAFE is an EU loan instrument meant to prop up key defense industries by financing countries in the bloc upon request.
"This would effectively double the volume of weapons Ukraine receives for the same 40 billion euros ($45 billion). Our support’s real value would rise to 80 billion euros ($91 billion)," Kubilius said.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen on April 8 said the Danish model has proven that Ukraine is capable of producing its own weapons and called for allies to follow the model.
"The Danish model has shown that there is a Ukrainian capacity to produce and deliver equipment for the Ukrainian fight for freedom. Denmark must continue to invest in this, and I hope that other countries will follow our example to an even greater extent," Poulsen said.
In January, Denmark set aside 135 million euros ($153 million) for further purchases for Ukraine under the Danish model in 2025.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
