"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.
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Oval Office at the White House on April 17, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details about the desire to secure a full ceasefire in Ukraine within weeks
U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Washington on April 17 to discuss a "just and lasting peace" for Ukraine and U.S. tariffs imposed on the EU.
"We have been defending the freedom of Ukraine together," Meloni toldreportersin the Oval Office with Trump.
"We’re going to be hearing from (Russia) this week, very shortly, actually, and we’ll see. But we want (Russia's war) to stop. We want the death and the killing to stop," Trump said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff are meeting in Paris on April 17 to discuss Ukraine. The U.S. has largely shut Europe out of Ukraine peace talks, raising alarm among European officials.
According to Bloomberg, U.S. officials in Paris expressed a desire to secure a full ceasefire in Ukraine within weeks, as part of a renewed push to end Russia’s war.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks, the publication said the officials were optimistic about achieving significant progress soon. Participants reportedly agreed to coordinate efforts toward that goal.
Meloni called for the U.S. and Europe to work together and stop Russia's war against Ukraine to establish a "just and lasting" peace.
Trump said he's not a "big fan" of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders got into a heated argument in the White House on Feb. 28.
"I'm not blaming him, but what I am saying is that I wouldn't say he's done the greatest job... I am not a big fan," Trump added.
Trump reiterated previous claims that Russia's war against Ukraine would not be happening if he were in power.
"I don’t hold Zelensky responsible (for Russia's war), but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started. That was a war that would have never started if I were president," Trump claimed.
Meloni called for the West to cooperate, receiving agreement from Trump.
"The goal for me is to make the West great again, and I think together we can do that," Meloni said, with Trump adding, "We can."
Meloni has invited Trump to visit Italy amid the 20% tariffs Trump has imposed on the EU, including Italy.
"I cannot lock this deal in the name of the European Union... My goal would be to invite President Trump to pay an official visit to Italy and understand if there’s a possibility when it comes to organize also such a meeting with Europe," Meloni said.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Andrea Januta
