"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.
Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov (R) speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, on Aug. 31, 2019. (Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)
Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin if he can resign as head of the Chechen Republic, he told Russian state-controlled media Chechnya Today on May 6.
Kadyrov has ruled Chechnya since 2007. Under his leadership, the Chechen Republic has become known as one of the most dangerous parts of the world, infamous for forced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
The U.S. and other Western allies have imposed sanctions against Kadyrov and his family over human rights abuses in Chechnya.
"I've heard those rumors (about resignation), too. They say all sorts of things. On the contrary, I am asking to be dismissed from my post," Kadyrov said. "I hope that my request will be supported."
Kadyrov clarified that the decision on whether he will be dismissed is up to Putin now.
Kadyrov's statement comes amid news that the Chechen dictator's illness, pancreatic necrosis, is progressing rapidly, and he has allegedly appointed his minor son Adam as his successor, according to the independent Russian media outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe.
This is not the first time Kadyrov has asked for his resignation. He made similar statements in 2016, 2017, and 2022, according to the independent Russian media outlet Astra. In previous cases, his resignation was not approved.
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.
Oleg Sukhov
