"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.
A Ukrainian serviceman holds a MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems) "Stinger" anti-aircraft weapon as they scan for possible air targets, onboard a Maritime Guard of the State Border Service of Ukraine boat as it patrols in the northwestern part of the Black Sea on December 18, 2023 (Anatolii Stepanov / AFP)
Norway will allocate 2.7 billion Norwegian kroner ($242 million) to bolster Ukraine’s navy and help it deter Russian threats in the Black Sea, the country’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere announced on Dec. 16.
"It is essential to protect the Ukrainian population and Ukrainian infrastructure from attacks by Russia’s Black Sea Fleet… (and to) protect exports by sea of grain and other products," Stoere said in a statement.
The money will be channeled through the Nansen Support Program, Norway's civil and military support program for Ukraine.
The Black Sea remains heavily mined due to Russia's full-scale war, seriously threatening civilian vessels.
Minesweeping capabilities would help Ukraine strengthen security in the Black Sea, and enable continued shipping.
"Mines pose a significant threat to maritime security and safe passage in the Black Sea, and mine clearance operations are very difficult," Norway’s Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram said.
"The systems we are providing will enhance the ability of Ukrainian forces to detect and defuse mines along their coastline," he added.
Following the announcement, the Nansen program’s total value grew to 137.7 billion kroner ($13.2 billion). The program initially was set to spend 75 billion kroner ($7 billion) from 2023 to 2028.
Norway is ranked 12th in the world in terms of the amount of aid provided to Ukraine, having so far provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker.
Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.
Boldizsar Gyori
