"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.
Calin Georgescu, Romania's presidential candidate, at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, in Bucharest, Romania, on Dec. 30, 2024. (Andrei Pungovschi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Romania's electoral bureau has disqualified far-right candidate Calin Georgescu from running in the presidential election re-run, multiple Romanian channels announced on March 9.
The bureau noted that the reasoning behind their decision would be posted to their website shortly.
The repeat elections are set for May 8 and 22 after the first round in November was annulled due to allegations of Russian interference favoring Georgescu.
The Romanian foreign intelligence agency (SIE) reported that "aggressive Russian hybrid attacks, including cyberattacks, information leaks, and sabotage" contributed to Georgescu's unexpected victory.
Georgescu was detained by police on Feb. 26 and charged by prosecutors for alleged crimes related to the country's recent elections.
He filed his candidacy on March 7 in Bucharest, after which the bureau had 48 hours to either approve or deny it.
Georgescu’s supporters condemned the disqualification move as politically motivated, and several dozen people gathered outside the election bureau, chanting "Freedom", while briefly attempting to break through the security barrier.
The right-wing leader spoke out on X about the bureau's decision, accusing Romania of being under tyranny. "Europe is now a dictatorship, Romania is under tyranny!" he wrote.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk shared multiple posts that were critical about the decision, and commented on it too.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Martin Fornusek
