"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.
Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak attends a joint briefing with co-head of the Yermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions in Kyiv on Sept. 8, 2023. (Kaniuka Ruslan / Getty Images)
Western partners should not grant premature concessions to Russia, particularly by lifting aviation sanctions, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, wrote in an April 30 opinion piece for the Guardian.
"On the surface, Moscow's demands for concessions look simple and easy to fulfil — the definition of a quick win for both sides," Yermak wrote.
"The apparent humanitarian and economic nature of Russia's request masks the political and military advantage that any softening of aviation sanctions would hand the Russian president (Vladimir Putin) and his war machine," he added.
The article follows Russia's formal request that the U.S. lift sanctions on its state airline Aeroflot, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on April 11.
"The Americans have taken it up, so far we have not seen any reciprocal step," he told state-run media TASS. "But we will work on it because this is a return to normality."
Lavrov linked the potential resumption of direct air service between the U.S. and Russia to Washington's decision on Aeroflot, which remains under heavy sanctions following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Yermak argued that aviation sanctions are both symbolic and practical barriers against Russian aggression.
"The lines between private and public sector in Russia's war economy are blurred — especially for aviation," he wrote.
Yermak cited intelligence data indicating that Russian airlines and airports are involved in circumvention of sanctions and transport of military goods and personnel.
"Cargo firms such as Volga-Dnepr provide transportation services for military purposes. I Fly — a charter service — transports soldiers for deployment to the frontline," he noted.
According to Yermak, easing these restrictions would relieve domestic pressure on the Kremlin and embolden Putin to continue the war.
"Accepting it would enable a regime that has repeatedly shown intent to prolong its war of aggression and undermine this chance for a just, fair and lasting peace," he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly ruled out lifting sanctions before a peace deal is reached, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said limited relief could be on the table as part of an eventual agreement.
On April 28, Russia announced a temporary "humanitarian" ceasefire from May 8 to May 11 to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the proposal as "another attempt at manipulation," reiterating Ukraine's demand for a complete, unconditional 30-day ceasefire as a first step toward meaningful peace.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Andrea Januta
