"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.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
The aftermath of the Russian attack on Sumy that killed dozens on Palm Sunday on April 13, 2025. (State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Telegram)
Lithuania's Foreign Ministry summoned a representative of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius on April 13 in response to Russia's missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which killed at least 34 people and injured 117.
"After today's terror attack by Russia against Sumy, we have summoned a representative of the Russian Embassy in Vilnius," the ministry posted on X.
"Those behind this attack will not escape justice. Responsibility is also shared by everyone working for (the) Kremlin's criminal regime, including Russian diplomats."
The strike, which took place on Palm Sunday — a day widely observed by Christians across Ukraine — was one of the deadliest to hit Sumy since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
European leaders widely condemned the attack. President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked those who expressed solidarity but emphasized that condemnation alone is not enough.
"This Friday (April 11) marked exactly one month since Russia spurned the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire. They are not afraid," Zelensky said.
The missile strike occurred amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire. Russia has refused to join a U.S.-proposed 30-day full truce and has continued attacks despite partial agreements to limit strikes on infrastructure and the Black Sea.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
