"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.
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.
Icelandic Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson at NATO headquarters during the first day of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting on Nov. 28, 2023 in Brussels, Belgium. (Omar Havana/Getty Images)
Iceland has committed to spend 2 million euros ($2.2 million) in ammunition purchases for Ukraine as part of a Czech-led initiative to deliver much-needed artillery shells.
In February 2024, Czech President Petr Pavel announced at the Munich Security Conference that Czechia plans to send 800,000 artillery shells to Ukraine. Pavel called on European leaders to also pledge their support and contribute funds to this initiative.
The Icelandic government announced on March 25 that they will spend 2 million euros on the project. Iceland also said they will support the purchase of equipment for servicewomen in the Ukrainian army, worth 500,000 euros ($541,855). This includes providing uniforms, bulletproof vests, and medical and hygiene products.
"It is imperative that we continue to strongly support Ukraine; in this way, we contribute not only to the defense of the country's people, but also to international law in a larger context and to our own security interests," said Iceland's Foreign Minister Bjarni Benediktsson.
So far, 15 European countries have backed Czechia’s plan for ammunition purchases, including France, the Netherlands, and Lithuania. The ammunition will likely be delivered next month to Ukraine.
Ukrainian troops face a severe ammunition shortage that has already led to Russian breakthroughs in Avdiivka and other front-line areas.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Chris York
