"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.
Sen. Marco Rubio, then-nominee for Secretary of State, testifies during his Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing at Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on Jan. 15, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on April 27 and emphasized "the need to end the war now," U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on April 28.
The U.S. has intensified efforts to broker a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. Rubio on April 27 said the upcoming week will be crucial for determining whether the U.S. will continue its involvement in efforts to end Russia’s war amid threats it may abandon peace talks.
"After Special Envoy Witkoff’s April 25 visit to Moscow, the Secretary underscored to his Russian counterpart the next steps in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and the need to end the war now," Bruce said.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoffmet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 25.
Rubio spoke to Lavrov on April 27 at the Russian official's request, the spokesperson said, adding that the "United States is serious about facilitating an end to this senseless war."
U.S. President Donald Trump met with President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Vatican on the sidelines of Pope Francis's funeral on April 26 as efforts continue to reach a ceasefire.
On April 27, Trump said, "I want (Putin) to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal... We have the confines of a deal, I believe, and I want him to sign it and be done with it."
Putin, on April 28, announced a so-called "humanitarian" truce in Russia's war against Ukraine to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
Russia holds grandiose military parades on May 9 in celebration of the end of World War II in Europe. Ukraine and most European nations mark May 8 as Victory in Europe Day.
Zelensky slammed Putin's proposal for a short-lived truce and pointed to Russia's strikes on civilian targets on April 28 as proof that Russia does not want to end its war against Ukraine.
"We value human lives, not parades. That’s why we believe — and the world believes — that there is no reason to wait until May 8," Zelensky said.
The Kremlin has shown signs it is unwilling to move forward on a peace deal with Ukraine. Russian authorities have listed maximalist demands in ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S.
Ukraine has already agreedto a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready if Russia also agrees to theterms. So far, Moscow has refused.
Zelensky has repeatedly called for a full 30-day ceasefire, saying on April 23, Ukraine insists on an "immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire."
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
