"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 NATO and Lithuanian flags fly over the summit venue on July 09, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Vilnius is scheduled to host the July 11-12 2023 NATO Summit. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Editor's Note: The article previously stipulated that similar restrictions apply to Belarus citizens. The correction indicates that Belarus citizens are exempt from this clause.
Russian citizens who reside in Lithuania will have their residence permits revoked if they travel to Russia or Belarus more than once within a three month period, Lithuanian media outlet LRT reported on May 3.
According to the country's Interior Ministry, a total of 14,652 Russian citizens hold a valid residence permits in Lithuania.
As of May 3, citizens travellingback to Russia and Belarus must have documented a valid reason for additional trips within the three month timeframe. Exceptions also apply for employees engaged in international freight and passenger transport.
Lithuania's parliament first adopted measures on restricting residence permits on Russian citizens shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Viewed as one of the most likely targets for a future Russian attack on NATO or the European Union, Lithuania has grown increasingly concerned around Russian aggression, sabotage efforts, as well as domestic interference by Russian citizens.
Lithuania borders both Belarus and Russia, including a 227-kilometer stretch along Kaliningrad, a heavily militarized exclave wedged between Lithuania and Poland.
On April 18, Politico reported that Lithuania will upgrade and fortify a second route through the Suwałki Gap, a strategically critical stretch of land along the Polish border, in response to threats from Russia.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Lithuania has been one of Ukraine's most vocal backers.
The Baltic state ranks among Europe's top defense spenders, allocating 2.85% of GDP to defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates. Vilnius plans to increase that figure to between 5% and 6% from 2026 to 2030.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Anna Fratsyvir
