"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.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be defense secretary, appears during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Jan 14, 2025 in Washington, DC (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The U.S. Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense on Jan. 24 in a tie-breaking vote.
Hegseth, a combat veteran and former Fox News host, was confirmed with the Senate split 50-50.
Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote, as three Republicans broke with their party to vote against Hegseth.
Republican Senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins joined the Senate Democrats in opposing the nomination.
Hegseth’s role will be to lead 1.3 million troops and preside over a $850 billion budget, as well as to hold meetings with U.S. allies, acting as the principal defense policymaker and adviser.
The confirmation came despite numerous allegations of misconduct, as well as questions about Hegseth’s qualifications to lead the Pentagon.
President Donald Trump praised Hegseth’s appointment, calling him a “great secretary of defense” and dismissing the dissent as irrelevant to the "important thing" of securing a win.
Hegseth’s confirmation completes Trump’s top national security team.
Hegseth previously served as an infantry captain in the Army National Guard, doing multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq.
He has previously called for reducing the U.S. commitment to the NATO military alliance and decreasing U.S. spending on foreign assistance.
At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 14, he was asked about his position on Ukraine after he did not mention Russia’s full-scale invasion during his opening remarks.
"We know who the aggressor is," Hegseth replied, adding: "We know who the good guy is. We’d like to see (the resolution of the war be) as advantageous for the Ukrainians as possible."
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Olena Goncharova
