"(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 speaks with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 4, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
United States President Donald Trump attributed Russia's invasion of Ukraine to its exclusion from the Group of Eight (G8), now the Group of Seven (G7).
Speaking to reporters at a World Cup planning meeting on May 6, Trump said it was a "foolish decision" to ban Russia from the group.
"If they didn't vote Russia out... I think you probably wouldn't have this ridiculous, deadly war... It was a very bad decision," Trump said.
"They threw them out and because of that... millions of people are dying," Trump added, referring to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
When pressed about whether he would invite Russia back to the group, Trump responded that "it's not good timing now," contradicting previous statements.
Earlier this year, Trump said that he would "love" to see Russia readmitted into the G7, calling Russia's expulsion from the group a "mistake."
The G8 became the G7 after Russia was expelled in 2014 for its invasion of Ukraine's Donbas, and subsequent annexation of Crimea.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, G7 countries have collectively supported Ukraine, including through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration program, which aims to provide Kyiv with $50 billion in loans using frozen Russian assets.
Current G7 members include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The European Union is also represented in the group.
Daria Shulzhenko
