"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.
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.
British Defence Secretary John Healey speaks during the closing press conference at NATO headquarters during the Meeting of UDCG on April 11, 2025, in Brussels. (Omar Havana / Getty Images)
NATO allies committed more than 21 billion euros ($23.8 billion) in long-term military aid to Ukraine during the April 11 meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), British Defense Secretary John Healey said.
"This is record support in military aid to Ukraine," Healey said.
The Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels comes amid growing uncertainty over U.S. support for Ukraine and efforts by European allies to close the gap as Kyiv resists Russia's ongoing invasion.
"2025 is the critical year for this war," Healey said. "Now is the critical moment... for defense industries, militaries and governments to step up."
The defense secretary stressed that the pledges were not only about firepower but about sending a clear message: "We stand with you in the fight and in the peace."
London has allocated 4.5 billion pounds ($5.8 billion) for Ukraine in 2025 — its largest annual contribution to date. The U.K. and Norway earlier pledged an additional 450 million pounds ($585 million) in combined military support.
Germany announced it would send four IRIS-T air defense systems, tanks, armored vehicles, missiles, shells, and more, with the contribution of 11 billion euros (nearly $14.4 billion) through 2029.
The newly unveiled sum shows that "the message was understood very clearly, that the support for Ukraine cannot diminish," Lithuania's Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told journalists on the sidelines of the summit, according to a Kyiv Independent reporter.
"Lithuania specifically pledged additionally almost 30 million euros ($34 million), and that means that this year, we have already pledged 110 million euros ($125 million), and we will, of course, reach 200 million ($280 million), and probably go higher," she added.
The Netherlands has also allocated 150 million euros ($170 million) to boost Ukraine's air defenses, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced.
The pledges come as Russia ramps up attacks on Ukrainian military and civilian targets and rejects ceasefire proposals from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Healey said Russian President Vladimir Putin "continues to drag his feet" and delay negotiations while intensifying strikes on Ukraine.
Launched in 2022 by former U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the UDCG has so far delivered about $126 billion in military aid to Ukraine from roughly 50 countries.
Trump's return to the presidency in January marked a shift in U.S. foreign policy. Washington has not approved new aid for Kyiv in 2025 and has focused instead on pushing for a negotiated settlement with Moscow.
The Feb. 12 Ramstein-format meeting in Brussels was the first not chaired by the U.S. defense secretary, as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth transferred the role to his British counterpart. Hegseth has not attended the April 11 meeting in person but joined via video link.
Martin Fornusek
