"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.
Ukrainian soldiers train to fly drones at night using thermal vision in Lviv Oblast, Ukraine, on May 11, 2023. (Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)
More than 40% of the weapons used at the front line are produced in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 16 on the occasion of the Day of the Defense Industry Worker.
Ukraine has significantly expanded its domestic defense industry in response to Russia's full-scale invasion.
"The trend is unchanged: Ukraine will do more and more (weapons) to guarantee its security — on its own and together with partners," Zelensky said.
"Ukraine will always need its own strong weapons so that we can have our own strong Ukrainian state. Ukraine will always need its own technological superiority so that Russia knows that we will respond to every attack," he added.
In its 2025 budget, Ukraine allocated Hr 55 billion ($1.3 billion) to defense manufacturing in an effort to reduce dependence on foreign deliveries.
Zelensky previously underscored that international support remains essential, warning that delays or cuts — especially from the U.S. — could severely weaken Ukraine's ability to hold the front line.
Ukraine is also planning to raise over $1 billion in 2025 to develop the so-called Danish model, buying arms for Ukraine directly from Ukrainian arms manufacturers.
Denmark became the first country to offer to donate arms to Ukraine via direct purchases from the Ukrainian defense industry, as Kyiv's defense budget does not match the capacities of domestic weapons production.
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.
Francis Farrell
