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.
Finnish Customs is investigating a suspected attempt to violate EU sanctions after discovering nearly 30 boxes of sensitive documents related to nuclear power plant construction that were allegedly bound for Russia, Finnish authorities said on April 17.
"The preliminary investigation has focused on a significant number of archive documents that were attempted to be taken to Russia," the Finnish Customs Economic Crime Investigation Unit said in a statement.
"Based on the preliminary investigation, some of the data is classified as material subject to sanctions against Russia."
Authorities declined to disclose further details but confirmed that the suspect is the managing director of a Finnish construction company linked to the project.
Finnish Customs did not name the company involved but said a decision on charges would follow the completion of the investigation.
Finnish energy companies Fortum and TVO, which operate the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear plants respectively, confirmed their facilities are not involved in the case.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometer (833-mile) border with Russia, has taken a hard line against Moscow following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Nordic country joined NATO in 2023 and closed its entire eastern border in December of that year after accusing the Kremlin of orchestrating an influx of asylum seekers as part of a hybrid operation.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Martin Fornusek
