"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.
Canada's newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney waves upon his arrival at the Elysee presidential palace for a joint statement with France's President as part of his trans-Atlantic trip to strengthen ties with traditional friends France and Britain, in Paris, France, on March 17, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)
Newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to attend the Group of Seven (G7) summit in June, Le Journal de Quebec reported on March 17, citing a Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Canada, which holds the G7 presidency this year, will host the summit on June 15-17 in Kananaskis County, located in the western province of Alberta.
Carney had a phone call with Zelensky on March 16 and invited him to the summit, according to the media outlet.
Carney was sworn in as Canada's prime minister on March 14, replacing former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as head of the governing Liberal Party. Trudeau announced his resignation in January.
Under Trudeau's leadership, Canada was a strong ally of Ukraine, providing 19.5 billion Canadian dollars ($13.5 billion) in assistance, including 4.5 billion Canadian dollars ($3.1 billion) in military aid.
Oleg Sukhov
