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.
A trade visitor looks at a Diehl IRIS-T SLS anti-aircraft weapon system at the ILA International Aerospace Exhibition on June 22, 2022, in Brandenburg, Germany. (Wolfgang Kumm/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Germany has provided Ukraine with a new package of military assistance, including IRIS-T air defense systems and missiles for Patriots, according to an updated list released by the German government on April 17.
The latest German shipment includes four additional IRIS-T systems and missiles for them, missiles for Patriot air defense systems, and 120 IGLA man-portable air defense missiles.
The package has also provided 66 more Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, additional Kinetic Defense Vehicles, and 38,000 more rounds of Gepard anti-aircraft ammunition.
In partnership with Denmark and Norway, Germany also delivered three new Zuzana 2 wheeled howitzers.
Berlin also sent additional artillery supplies, including 27,000 more rounds of 155 mm shells and 1,000 additional rounds of 122 mm ammunition. Drone support includes 70 more Vector reconnaissance drones, 150 additional HF-1 armed drones, and 10 more surface drones.
The package also includes engineering and recovery vehicles, surveillance radars, laser rangefinders, assault rifles, personal and tactical gear, as well as continued medical treatment for wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
The support, drawn from Bundeswehr stockpiles and industrial contracts financed through Berlin’s security capacity-building initiative, brings Germany’s total military aid to Ukraine to approximately 28 billion euros since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
The new German government has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine amid Russia’s ongoing invasion.
Germany may also be moving closer to approving the delivery of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, as leaders from both the conservative CDU/CSU and the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) show signs of alignment on the matter.
Johann Wadephul, deputy head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, said on April 15 that a joint decision was increasingly possible, especially after a recent Russian missile strike on the city of Sumy that killed at least 35 civilians.
Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, who is expected to take office following the CDU/CSU's February election victory, has also expressed support for sending Taurus missiles in coordination with Germany’s allies. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz has previously blocked such deliveries over concerns of escalation.
If approved, the missiles, with a range of up to 500 kilometers, would add to Ukraine’s long-range strike capabilities, alongside weapons already provided by the U.S., U.K., and France.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Asami Terajima
