"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.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, Norwegian Minister of Labor and Social Inclusion Tonje Brenna, and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 26, 2025 (Hennadii Minchenko/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Norway will allocate 3 billion Norwegian krone ($285.6 million) for humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees in neighboring Moldova in 2025, the Norwegian government announced on March 27.
"Russia’s attacks on civilian infrastructure, electricity supplies, hospitals, schools and homes have continued with full force, and more and more Ukrainians are being forced to evacuate or flee their homes every day," Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in a statement.
"At a time when international humanitarian financing for Ukraine is declining, Norway will continue to be a reliable donor to efforts to protect the civilian population and save lives," he added.
Russia is continuing its strikes against Ukraine's civilian targets, launching hundreds of drones every day and inflicting civilian casualties.
More than 12,654 civilians have been killed and over 29,392 injured since 24 February 2022, according to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU). The numbers are an underestimate, as the total number of civilians killed in Russian-occupied territories is not known.
The humanitarian funds allocated by Norway will be distributed among the UN response in Ukraine and Moldova, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Ukraine, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Ukraine and Moldova, and Norwegian and international humanitarian organizations for medical evacuations and aid.
The remaining funds will go to a humanitarian reserve.
Eide and Norwegian Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion Tonje Brenna visited Ukraine on March 26–27. During the trip to Kyiv and Kharkiv, they provided Kharkiv Municipal Clinical Hospital No. 8 with a hybrid solar power plant.
"We're proud to support Ukraine's efforts in creating resilient and equitable energy access for all. It is vital to have an alternative energy supply for operating theatres and intensive care departments during power outages," Eide said.
Norway has been one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters in Europe since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Earlier this month, Norwegian parliamentary leaders agreed to increase aid for Ukraine by 50 billion Norwegian krone ($4.6 billion) to a total of 85 billion Norwegian krone ($7.8 billion) in 2025.
Natalia Yermak
