Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba with his Serbian counterpart Marko Djuric in Belgrade, Serbia, on May 13, 2024. (Dmytro Kuleba/X)
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba traveled to Serbia on May 13 in his first trip to the country since the beginning of the full-scale war. His visit followed the arrival of First Lady Olena Zelenska in Belgrade the day prior.
Serbia has longstanding ties with Russia and has refrained from international attempts to sanction or otherwise isolate the country. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has also called Ukraine a "friendly country" and said in January 2023 that Crimea and Donbas are sovereign Ukrainian territories.
Kuleba met with Vucic, Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, and Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric.
The talks centered around ways to increase bilateral cooperation between the two countries, said Kuleba. He also thanked Serbia for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
Vucevic said, "Serbia is committed to respecting international law and the territorial integrity of United Nations member states, including Ukraine," but he declined to pledge to join sanctions against Russia.
Kuleba's meetings followed Zelenska's tour of the old city and a joint press conference with her Serbian counterpart, Tamara Vucic.
Zelenska was also present at signing documents entailing plans for increased cooperation between Serbian and Ukrainian universities.
Francis Farrell
