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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) looks at U.S. President Donald Trump during the welcoming ceremony before the G20 Summit's Plenary Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Nov. 30, 2018. (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images)
Some 56% of Americans believe that U.S. President Donald Trump is "too closely aligned" with Russia amid shifting U.S. foreign policy, a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on March 13 found.
A total of 40% of respondents disagreed with the statement, the poll showed, while 4% chose not to answer.
Since taking office, Trump has distanced the U.S. from its traditional role as Ukraine’s primary supporter, instead questioning Kyiv’s commitment to peace and implying that Ukraine shares blame for the ongoing war.
Those agreeing with the statement were split heavily along partisan lines, with 89% of Democrats and just 27% of Republicans agreeing that Trump is "too closely aligned" with Russia.
Trump’s recent stance on Ukraine, including his public rebuke of President Volodymyr Zelensky and short-lived halt on U.S. military aid to Kyiv, has drawn praise from Russian officials while raising concerns among European allies.
His administration’s position has prompted Russian officials to express optimism about a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state television on March 3 that "the new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations," calling the shift a positive development that "largely aligns" with Moscow's interests.
Since taking office Trump has called for Ukraine to sign a mineral resource deal with the United States. The deal was derailed after a spat between Zelensky, Trump, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance at the White House on Feb. 28.
Despite the complexities of the deal, a plurality of Americans, or 44%, said they support Trump's plan of "conditioning U.S. military support for Ukraine on the U.S. getting a share of Ukraine's mineral wealth."
The poll was conducted online among 1,422 U.S. adults between March 11-12 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
