Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"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.
Economic numbers are displayed on a monitor on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) at the opening bell in New York City on Feb. 12, 2025. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
Europe's main stock market and currencies are gaining amid growing optimism about a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on Feb. 13.
U.S. President Donald Trump held phone calls to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian's Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, Feb. 12, saying that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will start "immediately."
Reuters reported that the STOXX 600, Europe's key stock index, reached new highs, extending its 8% growth already achieved this year and reaching a new record high. The growth was mainly buoyed by gains in Nestle and Siemens, in addition to talks of a peace deal.
The euro grew by 0.3% at $1.041, while the Swiss franc and Britain's pound gained the same percentage against the dollar, amounting to $1.102 and $1.248, respectively.
A peace settlement in Ukraine would be 'significantly positive' for Europe, potentially lowering energy costs and enabling reconstruction programs reminiscent of the Marshall Plan, ING currency expert Chris Turner told Reuters.
Ukraine's government bonds continued to rise on the peace talk hopes, despite the fear among top European politicians that a deal was being forced on Kyiv and Europe would be left to shoulder the costs of post-war security and reconstruction in Ukraine.
Oil prices declined on the potential for a negotiated settlement of the war in Ukraine for the second day on Feb.13.
Yana Prots
