"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.
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.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a news conference at the United Nations headquarters on April 25, 2023, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov claimed on March 6 that French President Emmanuel Macron's recent comments on nuclear deterrence pose a threat to Russia, according to the state news agency TASS.
During a televised address on March 5, Macron said he was open to extending France's nuclear umbrella to protect European allies amid growing uncertainties caused by the U.S.'s foreign policy shifts.
France and the U.K. are the only two European nations with nuclear arsenals. Macron made it clear that no decision has been taken so far.
Lavrov claimed that Macron is "preparing to use nuclear weapons against Russia," without providing evidence and despite the French leader not making such a statement directly.
"Of course, it's a threat against Russia," Lavrov claimed.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov echoed Lavrov's remarks, calling Macron's comments "very confrontational" and accusing France of escalating tensions.
"Moreover, France is already ready to use its nuclear weapons for security and the like. It's already such a nuclear rhetoric; it's a claim to nuclear leadership in Europe," Peskov said.
Macron's statements come as European leaders push for increased defense spending and military aid to Ukraine amid concerns that U.S. President Donald Trump may not defend Europe if Russia attacks.
Polish and Lithuanian leaders welcomed the French leader's proposal that Paris could extend its nuclear umbrella.
Russia has been accused of waging a broader hybrid war against Europe, including acts of sabotage on the continent. Western intelligence agencies have warned that Moscow may seek to launch a large-scale war on Europe within the next five years.
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.
Dmytro Basmat
