"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 (R) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) during their bilateral meeting prior to the opening of the BRICS Leader's Summit, Oct. 22 2024, in Kazan, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping discussed Ukraine during their meeting on Oct. 22 at the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.
The BRICS alliance, a bloc of countries that now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates, is convening in Kazan for a three-day summit from Oct. 22-24. According to Moscow, 36 world leaders are participating in the conference.
Putin and Xi reportedly spoke for about an hour, according to Russian state media. The leaders discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, the BRICS agenda, and bilateral relations.
"The world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and the international situation is chaotic and intertwined," Xi said.
Xi and Putin during their meeting "outlined the main parameters of further contacts to continue the dialogue," according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Russia hopes to increase cooperation with China on "all international platforms," Putin said.
Xi and Putin concurred that the bilateral relations were at a historical highpoint, and jointly protect "regional tranquility and stability."
Although China officially maintains a neutral stance on Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and denies providing lethal aid, Beijing and Moscow continue to strengthen their economic and political ties. At a previous meeting in Kazakhstan in July, Xi and Putin concurred that the bilateral relations were at a historic high point.
Chinese companies have been sanctioned by the U.S. for producing drones used in Russia's war. Various countries have accused China of aiding Russia by providing machine tools, weapons technology, satellite imagery, semiconductors, and other dual-use technologies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that intelligence data indicates that "China is actively helping Russia drag out this war."
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
