"(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 European Union (EU) flag next to the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 10, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The European Commission has criticized the telethon, Ukraine's state-run pool of TV channels created during wartime, and urged Kyiv to restore a "pluralistic media landscape," according to an updated report on progress made by EU candidate countries published on Oct. 30.
The so-called telethon, branded as "Yedyni Novyny" ("United News"), was launched at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. It was created by merging the coverage of Ukraine's biggest TV channels.
The telethon was initially seen as a legitimate response to Russia's aggression, but later, it was accused of monopolizing television coverage and stifling dissent. Some opposition television channels have complained that they were excluded from the telethon due to their political stance.
Brussels expects Ukraine to restore the work of all broadcasters in the pre-war format, questioning the telethon's objectivity. One of the European Commission's criticisms concerns the financing of the telethon from the state budget.
The European Commission also commented on the Rada TV channel, emphasizing that the media should cover the work of the entire parliament, including the opposition.
Despite concerns about the functioning of the media in Ukraine, the European Commission said it is ready to open the first negotiation clusters, starting with fundamentals, with Ukraine in 2025.
"The opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine has been an important recognition of Ukraine's determination to pursue reforms on the path of European Union accession," the statement read.
"Following the first intergovernmental conference in June 2024, the analytical examination of the acquis (the screening) is progressing smoothly."
Ukraine received EU candidate status in June 2022. The European Commission recommended launching accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova in November 2023, and the European Council approved the decision a month later.
The first intergovernmental conference on Ukraine's accession was held in Luxembourg in June, marking the official beginning of accession negotiations between the European Union and Ukraine.
However, Ukraine's entry into the EU most likely remains years away. Katarina Mathernova, the EU ambassador to Ukraine, said that Kyiv could join the bloc in 2030.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Kateryna Denisova
