"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.
Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks during a joint press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 24, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on April 24, the prime minister's office announced on April 21.
The leaders will discuss the security situation, NATO, the Russia-Ukraine war, and trade, the statement read.
Norway's officials will meet the U.S. president after the Trump administration imposed a 15% tariff on goods imported into the U.S. from Norway at the beginning of April. Later, the tariff was lowered to 10% for a 90-day period.
"The U.S. is our most important ally, and in a troubled and demanding time for security policy, the close contact between our two countries is very important," Stoere said.
"Norway and the U.S. cooperate in a number of areas, and the U.S. is an important trading partner for Norway. I look forward to discussing areas where we can cooperate even more closely in the future," he added.
Norway has been one of Ukraine's most committed European backers, providing military aid, humanitarian assistance, and financial support.
The country has also played a key role in stabilizing Ukraine's energy sector and hosting Ukrainian refugees.
Norwegian Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik announced on April 11 that Norway will allocate 10 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately $937 million) in 2025 to help equip and train a Ukrainian military brigade.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Carl Bildt
