"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.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets speaks during the 'Ukraine. Year 2024' forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 25, 2024. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ukraine has received a list of missing Ukrainian soldiers thanks to mediation by Qatar, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on Oct. 24
Lubinets made the announcement on his Telegram channel after visiting Qatar and meeting Lolwah Al-Khater, the country's Foreign Ministry senior official.
The Gulf country has previously acted as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow to bring back Ukrainian children illegally held by Russia.
Lubinets did not specify in his statement whether the lists were provided to Qatar by Moscow or the status of the listed missing soldiers.
Apart from the list, he received letters from Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) for their families and discussed the possibility of speeding up the process of POW exchanges between Kyiv and Moscow.
The parties also agreed to provide assistance to civilians in difficult life situations, including in restoring personal documents, Lubinets said.
According to the Interior Ministry, Ukraine records 55,000 citizens in its register of persons missing under special circumstances as of late September. The register includes people who have disappeared due to war, occupation, or natural and man-made disasters.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Natalia Yermak
