"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.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte looks on as he answers journalists' questions during a NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 3, 2024. (John Thys / AFP via Getty Images)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on March 1 for President Volodymyr Zelensky to mend relations with U.S. President Donald Trump following a tense exchange in White House a day prior.
Zelensky left Washington early without signing a mineral deal with the United States following a tense argument in front of journalists between the two leaders. Trump later reportedly ordered his officials to tell the Ukrainian delegation to leave the White House, despite protest from the Ukrainians.
Speaking to the BBC, Rutte said that it was "important that President Zelensky finds a way to restore his relationship with the American president and with the senior American leadership team."
Rutte, who said he has spoken to Zelensky twice since the incident, called the public argument "unfortunate." The secretary general added that "we really have to give Trump credit," for providing weapons to Ukraine during Trump's first term in office, adding that that U.S. commands "respect" for their support.
Rutte's comments come as a number of European leaders on Feb. 28 reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and Zelensky.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the EU's commitment to stepping up assistance to Ukraine, enabling the country to continue resisting the aggressor.
"Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge," Kallas posted on X.
Following the tense exchange, Zelensky appeared on Fox News to attempt to mend any fractured relations that may have emerged with Trump.
"We are very close partners," Zelensky told Fox News. "I think this kind of spat is not good for both sides."
Ukraine's president told Fox News' Bret Baier that he doesn’t feel he needs to apologize to Trump after a heated exchange at the White House. "No, I respect president, and I respect American people, and I think that we have to be very open and very honest and I’m not sure that we did something bad," Zelensky said. "I think some things we have to discuss out of media with all respect to democracy and free media."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later calledfor Zelensky to apologize for how the meeting unfolded, questioning whether the Ukrainian leader was truly committed to peace.
When asked if Zelensky though the relationship could be salvaged following the tense exchange, Zelensky replied: "Yes, of course, because it's more than to the president. It's a historical relations between our people."
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Dmytro Basmat
