"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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the BRICS Business Forum, October 18, 2024, in Moscow, Russia (Contributor/Getty Images)
The leaders of Brazil and Cuba both canceled their attendance at this week's BRICS summit, being hosted in Russia by President Vladimir Putin.
"Regrettably, as it became known today, President of Brazil Lula da Silva and President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel will not be able to come due to unforeseen circumstances," Kremlin presidential aide Yury Ushakov said in comments reported by Russian state media on Oct. 21.
Lula, 78, is reported to have suffered a minor brain hemorrhage after falling at his home at the weekend, and will instead appear by videoconference.
Diaz-Canel is suffering "serious energy problems," Russian state media reported.
BRICS, composed of Russia, China, India, Brazil, and other nations, is a group of emerging economies often portrayed as a counterweight to the Western-led world.
Four new members – Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates – joined the international organization at the start of 2024. This marked the group's first expansion since December 2010, when South Africa became a member.
Cuba has requested to join the BRICS group as a "partner country" in an official letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Cuban Foreign Ministry official said on Oct. 8.
With Russia increasingly isolated on the international stage, and forced to turn to countries like North Korea for support, Moscow is hoping the summit can send a message to Western nations that it can still yield some clout.
The Kremlin described the three-day meeting which began on Oct. 22 as one of the "largest-scale foreign policy events ever" in Russia.
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.
Owen Racer
