"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.
Elon Musk speaks at the Atreju political convention in Rome, Italy, on Dec. 15, 2023. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing political party organised a four-day political festival in the Italian capital. (Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Business tycoon Elon Musk, one of the richest people in the world, has been in regular contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials since late 2022, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Oct. 25, citing undisclosed official sources.
Musk, known as the founder and CEO of the space and telecom company SpaceX and the owner of the social media platform X, came out in support of Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, donating Starlink communication terminals that greatly assisted Ukrainian defenders.
His views progressively shifted toward pro-Russian positions later during the war, and the billionaire prevented Ukraine from using Starlink terminals in strikes on the Russian fleet. He has also complained that he is "losing money" by providing Starlink service to Ukraine.
The business tycoon, who has backed the campaign of Republican presidential nominee and ex-U.S. President Donald Trump, has previously denied sympathizing with Moscow and claimed he talked with Putin only once in April 2021 about space-related topics.
Former and current European, U.S., and Russian officials told the WSJ that Musk has held further conversations with Putin and other high-ranking Kremlin officials since late 2022.
This reportedly included Sergei Kiriyenko, Putin's first deputy chief of staff, who has been named as the top figure of Russian propaganda and disinformation activities.
Since Musk acquired X (formerly known as Twitter), experts have pointed out a sharp rise of disinformation, hate speech, and radical and pro-authoritarian content on the platform.
Putin also asked Musk not to activate Starlink over Taiwan as a favor to Beijing, which claims the island as its sovereign territory, the WSJ wrote. Starlink is currently not active in Taiwan.
The Kremlin has denied communicating with Musk, and White House officials told the WSJ they are not aware of it. Musk did not respond to the WSJ's request for comment.
According to the WSJ, the contacts are a well-kept secret in the U.S. government due to Musk's access to sensitive information as a major security and technology contractor.
SpaceX, which operates Starlink, was awarded a classified $1.8 billion contract in 2021, reportedly to build a network of spy satellites for U.S. intelligence.
Security-related concerns regarding Musk also arose over Russia's increasing use of Starlink terminals bought via third-party countries, boosting Russian forces as they grind on in Ukraine's east.
The matter is all the more sensitive as Musk has become an increasingly vocal supporter of Trump, even joining him at a rally in Pennsylvania in early October. The former president said that he could appoint Musk to run a "government efficiency commission" if he wins the election.
Trump has previously criticized the support the Biden administration has provided to Ukraine, sparking fears he might withdraw Washington's support if re-elected on Nov. 5.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Yaroslav Azhnyuk
