"(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.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov attends a press conference at the Palace of Independence on Dec. 19, 2022, in Minsk, Belarus. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Moscow is waiting for a signal from Kyiv to resume bilateral peace negotiations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on April 28, even as Russia continues its regular attacks on Ukraine.
"Kyiv should take some action in this regard (to resume talks). There is a legal ban. So far, we don't see any action," Peskov said, alluding to a Ukrainian decree banning talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has repeatedly proclaimed its supposed readiness for peace talks while simultaneously pushing for maximalist demands, with Kyiv accusing it of deliberately stalling peace efforts. Peskov recently said that Putin informed the U.S. about his willingness to enter negotiations with Ukraine "without preconditions."
After Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions in the fall of 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree that declared negotiations with Putin "impossible" while leaving the door open to discussions with Russia under different leadership.
As Peskov's statement was published, some Ukrainian regions have been targeted by Russian Shahed drones, with attacks on the front line continuing unabated.
"All Russian statements about peace without a ceasefire are just a lie," Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak wrote on social media on April 28.
Andrii Kovalenko, an official at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, called Peskov's recent remarks a manipulation.
"Peskov is manipulating again. When Russia says it is ready to start negotiations, for some reason, they forget to halt fire," Kovalenko said on Telegram.
"Without that, everything Russia says is manipulation intended to cast themselves as peacemakers."
Kyiv maintains that it is ready for negotiations but insists any peace process must preserve Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and that territorial issues can only be addressed after a full ceasefire.
Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine's willingness to enter negotiations with Russia following a potential truce is already a "big compromise" by Kyiv.
In recent days, U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his push for a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Following his meeting with Zelensky at the Vatican on April 26, Trump urged Putin to stop attacks on Ukraine and finalize a U.S.-brokered peace deal to end the war.
Daria Shulzhenko
