"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.
Top U.S., European, and Ukrainian officials meet to discuss ceasefire in Ukraine in Paris, France, on April 17, 2025. (Ludovic Marin /POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Ceasefire talks among European, Ukrainian, and U.S. officials for the first time signal Europe's role at the negotiating table, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in Paris on April 17.
The U.S. has largely shut Europe out of Ukraine peace talks, raising alarm among European officials and pushing Europe to work its way back to the negotiating table. A Paris meeting was held on April 17 to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Barrot noted officials from all three sides have agreed to regroup in London next week to continue discussions regarding security guarantees for Ukraine and a ceasefire.
"(T)hese very open, very frank discussions will have made it possible to advance the thinking of the Europeans, the Ukrainians, and the Americans, who have agreed to meet next week in London to continue discussions," Barrot said.
The foreign minister noted that Russia has yet to agree to a full ceasefire, despite Ukraine already doing so.
"(W)e can hope in the very near future to achieve a full and complete, unconditional ceasefire, to which the Ukrainians have already agreed and to which we hope Russia will agree in turn," Barrot said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were in Paris for the high-level meetings on ending the war in Ukraine.
The U.S. officials were joined by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
"For a long time, we feared that the Europeans would not be around the table. Well, today, it is in Paris that the Europeans, the Americans, and the Ukrainians have met for the first time," Barrot said.
The U.S. has led separate talks with Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia to reach a ceasefire. On April 6, Zelensky said Russia is rejecting an unconditional ceasefire because it wants to continue launching missile strikes from the Black Sea.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Andrea Januta
