Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
US President Donald Trump chats with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Danang, Vietnam, on Nov. 11, 2017. (Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / AFP / Getty Images)
Moscow has pledged to help Washington in dealing with Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and its support for regional anti-American proxies, Bloomberg reported on March 4, citing its undisclosed sources.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has been trying to restore relations with Russia, which were severed under the previous administration when the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Trump voiced his interest in negotiations with Iran to Putin during a phone call in February. A few days later, the U.S. and Russian delegations discussed this issue during talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg reported.
Moscow has long been partners with Tehran, but their cooperation only intensified after the outbreak of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022. Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed drones used in attacks against Ukrainian cities, as well as short-range ballistic missiles.
With Iran's assistance, Russia has begun producing its own variants of Shahed drones called Geran-2.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Russia believes the U.S. and Iran should "resolve all problems through negotiations," and Moscow is "ready to do everything in its power to achieve this goal."
When asked whether Russia offered to mediate between Tehran and Washington, Esmail Baghai, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said that it was "natural" for countries to offer their assistance.
"Given the importance of these issues, it is quite possible that many parties will show goodwill and willingness to help in solving various problems," Baghai said during a televised press conference in Tehran on March 3.
"From this point of view, it is only natural that countries will offer assistance if it is needed," he added.
Since taking office, Trump has distanced the U.S. from its traditional role as Ukraine's primary supporter, instead questioning Kyiv's commitment to peace and implying that Ukraine shares the blame for the ongoing war.
Russian officials have openly praised Trump's stance, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov calling him "the first, and so far, the only Western leader" to acknowledge what Moscow considers the true cause of the war.
Other Kremlin figures, including the deputy chair of Russia's Security Council, applauded Trump for taking a harsher tone toward President Volodymyr Zelensky, even labeling Ukraine's leader a "dictator."
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that once the war ends, Washington and Moscow could pursue "potentially historic economic partnerships," including cooperation on Arctic development and rare earth mining.
Chris York
