"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.
Japanese Education, Culture, Sports, and Science Minister Masahito Moriyama arrives in Kyiv on July 29, 2024. (The Japanese Embassy in Ukraine/Facebook)
Japanese Education, Culture, Sports, and Science Minister Masahito Moriyama arrived in Kyiv on July 29, the Japanese Embassy in Ukraine reported.
Moriyama plans to hold a series of meetings with Ukrainian officials to discuss joint projects and opportunities for further cooperation in the cultural and educational spheres, according to the embassy's statement.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Japan has contributed around $8 billion to Ukraine in humanitarian and financial assistance, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Japan has supported Ukraine's energy sector, which has suffered millions in damage due to Russian attacks, and shares expertise on nuclear safety.
Japan and Ukraine also signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on June 13.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Martin Fornusek
