"(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 Russian law enforcement officer patrols near the Crocus City Hall concert hall outside Moscow, Russia, on March 23, 2024, after the terrorist attack that killed at least 139 people. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
More than 50% of Russians believe that Ukrainian leadership is responsible for the shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert hall outside Moscow, the Financial Times (FT) reported, citing a survey by OpenMinds, an Anglo-Ukrainian online pollster.
Around 27% of respondents blamed the Islamic State (ISIS), while another 6% pointed to the so-called "collective West," namely the U.S., the U.K., and NATO.
Several gunmen opened fire at the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk, Moscow's suburb, on the evening of March 22, killing at least 144 people.
Though the Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack shortly thereafter, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, along with other top Russian officials, sought to pin the blame on Ukraine without providing any evidence.
OpenMinds' survey showed that younger people aged 18 to 30 are more likely to blame ISIS for the attack than Kyiv, according to FT. Among those who oppose the war, 50% blame ISIS, compared to 12% of those who support the war.
Russians aged 31 to 50 have the highest number of those who believe in Ukraine's involvement in the shooting – over 50%, according to the poll.
Oleg Sukhov
