Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives at the European Council summit on Dec. 14, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. (Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the EU should restore diplomatic relations with Russia, listing it as one of the conclusions of his supposed "peace mission," Bild reported on July 15, citing Orban's letter it had obtained.
Writing to European Council President Charles Michel after meeting leaders of Ukraine, Moscow, China, Turkey, and U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, Orban reportedly presented a 10-point summary of the venture's conclusions and suggestions.
Orban's rogue diplomatic efforts, namely his meetings with Russian and Chinese leaders Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping under the EU presidency logo, drew ire across the EU. Brussels stressed that despite Hungary's ongoing chairmanship of the Council of the EU, the trips have in no way represented the bloc.
The European Commission said it would boycott informal ministerial meetings organized by the Hungarian presidency in response to the trips, while over 60 members of the European Parliament reportedly called for the suspension of Hungary's EU voting rights.
Diplomatic relations between the EU and Russia broke down dramatically after the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. While much of the bloc threw its support behind the invaded country, Budapest has maintained close relations with Moscow, repeatedly obstructing aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
As another proposal in the letter, Orban called for a "political offensive" in the Global South to regain the "esteem we have lost with regard to our stance on the war in Ukraine."
Kyiv's and Western efforts to engage the Global South countries in the peace efforts have yielded only limited results, mainly due to their long-standing economic ties with Russia and skepticism toward the West.
The Hungarian prime minister also urged talks with China on a possible "peace conference."
After snubbing the Switzerland summit, Beijing pitched its own peace proposal that would include a summit recognized both by Russia and Ukraine. Orban met Xi in China on July 8, calling Beijing a "key power" in achieving peace.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Nate Ostiller
