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.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the press conference after his meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, Poland on November 13, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NATO's reaction to a potential Russian attack would be "devastating," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said during a press conference ahead of the defense ministers' meeting in Brussels on Feb. 12.
"If (Russian President Vladimir) Putin attacks NATO, the reaction will be devastating. He will lose," Rutte said.
Allied and Ukrainian officials are gathering at the NATO headquarters for a ministerial meeting and the 26th summit of the Ramstein-format Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) to coordinate strategy in fending off Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The meetings come at an uncertain time as U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for a quick peace deal in Ukraine while being evasive on the question of military support for the besieged country.
Trump's return to the White House also spells uncertainty for the alliance. His past comments have cast doubt on his readiness to assist European allies in case of Russian aggression.
When asked whether he is worried about Trump's willingness to aid Europe in case of another conflict, Rutte said European countries are currently addressing weaknesses in their own defense capabilities.
Defense spending will be at the top of the agenda of the ministerial meeting, Rutte said, adding that he expects the allies to raise the spending benchmarks from 2% of GDP to "north of 3%."
Trump has previously urged NATO partners to hike defense spending to as much as 5%, a level not achieved by a single member, including the U.S., in 2024.
During the press conference, the secretary-general backed Trump's stance that Europe should ramp up its support for Ukraine to make it more "equalized" in regard to the U.S.
"The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the stronger they will be at the negotiating table," Rutte concluded.
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.
Martin Fornusek
