"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 reportedly makes his first visit to a command post in Russia's Kursk Oblast since Ukraine's incursion into the region began in August 2024. (Kremlin/screenshot)
Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 12 reportedly made his first visit to Russia's Kursk Oblast since Ukraine's incursion into the region began in August 2024.
Putin, in a video released by the Kremlin, reportedly met with military leadership in the region while visiting an undisclosed command post in Kursk Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent cannot independently verify the details or location of Putin's reported visit. The Ukrainian military has not publicly commented on the claims.
The reported visit into the region comes amid a renewed Russian offensive in the region, with Russian troops reportedly having regained control of more than 86% of the territory in Kursk Oblast captured by Kyiv.
Russian troops have entered Sudzha, a key Ukrainian-held stronghold in the Russian border region of Kursk.
In the video, Putin is seen donning military attire for the first time since Russia's full scale invasion began in February 2022 — instead of the suit that he typically wears for meetings with military personnel. The choice in attire mimics that of President Volodymyr Zelensky who has refused to wear a suit throughout the war — symbolizing Zelensky's wartime leadership.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on March 10 that there is no immediate threat of encirclement as Ukrainian forces are repositioning to "favorable defense lines."
Syrskyi added on March 12 that Ukraine will hold the defense in Kursk Oblast "as long as reasonable and necessary."
Ukraine launched the cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August 2024, initially seizing around 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory. Since then, Russian forces, reinforced by North Korean troops, have steadily pushed back against Ukrainian forces.
Over seven months of fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Russian losses have reached nearly 54,900 personnel, with over 22,000 killed, Syrskyi claimed on March 12.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
