"(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.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet warships take part in the Navy Day celebrations in the port city of Novorossiysk on July 30, 2023. (Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
Romania and Bulgaria are wary of a possible deal between the U.S. and Russia that could restore Moscow's position in the Black Sea, the Financial Times reported on March 24, citing undisclosed officials from the region.
U.S. and Russian delegates are meeting in Riyadh on March 24 as Washington pushes for a ceasefire in the Black Sea and a broader peace deal.
As Ukraine has greatly degraded Russia's capabilities in the Black Sea through a sustained drone and missile campaign, any potential deal could be beneficial to Russia and expand its Navy's operational area, officials told the Financial Times.
Kyiv said it had destroyed or disabled one-third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet during more than three years of the full-scale war, forcing Moscow to withdraw much of its naval assets from occupied Crimea.
The drone and missile campaign had also allowed Ukraine to reopen its shipping lanes despite Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in 2023.
Details of a possible Black Sea agreement between the U.S. and Russia remain unclear as the "technical" discussions are ongoing.
U.S. and Ukrainian delegations also discussed a mutual halt on strikes against both Ukrainian and Russian ports and infrastructure during their meeting in Riyadh on March 23, a Ukrainian official said.
The meetings follow Russian President Vladimir Putin's claimed agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump to institute a 30-day pause on strikes against energy facilities. Kyiv has backed the partial ceasefire but accused Russia of continuing its attacks against Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
Trump's return to the White House marked a major shift in U.S. foreign policy. Washington has sought to restore ties with Moscow while adopting an increasingly critical stance toward its partners.
Trump's friendly rhetoric toward Russia and Putin, as well as a temporary pause on military and intelligence support for Ukraine earlier in March, sparked concerns that Washington might promise favorable conditions to Moscow in order to broker a peace deal.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
