"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.
Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's foreign minister, speaks during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has responded to criticism from Ukraine over the slow supply of fighter jets, insisting on Nov. 1 his country has done more for Kyiv "than any other nation."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Oct. 31 said Ukraine is still expecting to receive Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland.
"We agreed with NATO that they would provide them (Poland) with a police mission, just like our Baltic friends, who do not have their own planes but have such a mission," Zelensky said.
"We agreed on this, but after that, did Poland give us the planes? No. Was there another reason? Yes," he added without providing further details.
In response, Sikorski told Polish journalists that taking into account "military, financial, economic, humanitarian [assistance], and the assistance for Ukrainian refugees, Poland has done more for Ukraine in terms of GDP than any other nation."
He added there are "almost 300 of our tanks, a lot of heavy equipment, and planes across the eastern border."
"We're trying to help, but we're also a front-line country. Russia also threatens us, and not everything is possible," he added.
Poland has been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, providing billions of dollars in military, economic, and humanitarian aid and hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees.
The country has also been a vocal supporter of Ukraine on the world stage, campaigning for Ukraine to receive all the required weaponry to win the war that Russia had begun.
Yet, bilateral relations are far from perfect, with the two countries sharing long-standing grievances that are far from being resolved.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Dinara Khalilova
