"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.
A Starlink terminal engineered by Spacex is displayed during the Everything Electric London 2024 at ExCel on March 28, 2024, in London, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
Italian authorities have frozen talks with SpaceX to obtain Starlink access, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said in a wide-ranging interview with Italian media outlet La Repubblica released on March 22.
European officials have repeatedly decried U.S. billionaire Elon Musk for inflammatory remarks about Ukraine and Europe. European officials previously clashed with Musk over concerns that Starlink access could be cut off in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the Italian government explored the possibility of an agreement with Starlink, but opposition officials denounced the idea of a contract with Musk, citing his comments on Ukraine.
"It seems to me that everything has stopped ... the topic has moved from Starlink to the statements of and about the person," Crosetto said.
Negotiations are on hold for now, he said, and Italy will focus on what is "useful and safe" for the country in its defense contracts.
Authorities in Italy are currently not working on a contract with Starlink but will consider it in the future, Crosetto said.
"The technical plan is not being discussed. When the controversy and the times have calmed down, there will be a technical approach."
European officials voiced concern Starlink could cut off Ukraine's access to its internet service, following media reports that the U.S. had threatened to terminate Starlink service in order to pressure Kyiv to sign a minerals deal with Washington. Starlink internet access is crucial to Ukraine's battlefield communications.
Musk and top White House officials clashed with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski over the legitimacy of such concerns on March 9.
Musk denied Starlink access could be cut off in Ukraine following backlash from Ukraine's allies.
"To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals," Musk said on March 9.
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.
Linda Hourani
