"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.
Members of the Ukrainian team of the Invictus Games in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine on Jan. 12, 2025. (Invictus Games: Team Ukraine)
Team Ukraine is set to compete in the 2025 Invictus Games, which officially began on Feb. 8 in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. The team, consisting of 35 injured Ukrainian soldiers—the largest Ukrainian delegation yet — arrived in Canada on Jan. 31 after six months of training.
Ukraine will face Colombia in the Group C Preliminary Round of wheelchair basketball, the first sport of the competition.
This year’s games will feature 550 athletes with disabilities, injuries, and illnesses from 25 different countries, competing across 11 sports, from Alpine skiing to swimming.
“The Ukrainian community in British Columbia and across Canada are deeply honored to welcome Ukraine’s Heroes... to the Invictus Games,” Ukrainian Canadian Congress West Vice President Natalka Jatskevich said on Feb. 8.
She emphasized that Ukrainian veterans embody the resilience and bravery of their country, which has been defending itself against Russia’s war for three years.
Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Melnyk highlighted the significance of Ukraine’s participation: "This year's competition will provide further chances to demonstrate to the world the indomitable will of Ukrainian defenders. Their unwavering determination on the battlefield was unmatched, and their drive for victory in sports is inspiring and remarkable."
Ukraine has participated in the Invictus Games since 2017, winning 34 medals in the last competition in 2023.
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.
Kateryna Hodunova
