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.
An Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines Sukhoi Superjet 100-95B stands with other jets at Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow, Russia, on May 31, 2016. (Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Russia has asked the United States to lift sanctions on its state airline Aeroflot, but Washington has not yet responded, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on April 11, according to state-run media TASS.
Lavrov linked the potential resumption of direct air service between the U.S. and Russia to Washington's decision on Aeroflot, which remains under heavy sanctions following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The foreign minister said the proposal was first raised over a month ago during talks in Riyadh and reiterated during the latest meeting in Istanbul on April 10.
"The Americans have taken it up, so far we have not seen any reciprocal step," he said. "But we will work on it because this is a return to normality."
Aeroflot, Russia's largest airline, has been banned from U.S. and EU airspace and cut off from critical aviation supplies since 2022. The company has faced mounting operational challenges as sanctions limit access to spare parts, maintenance, and insurance.
U.S. and Russian officials met in Istanbul to discuss embassy operations on April 10, but the topic of war in Ukraine was reportedly not on the agenda. It was the second such meeting since February and part of a broader dialogue that also included rounds of ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia.
U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly ruled out lifting sanctions before a peace deal is reached, though Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said limited relief could be on the table as part of an eventual agreement.
Ukraine has already agreed to a U.S.-proposed full 30-day ceasefire, saying on March 11 that Kyiv is ready to take such a step if Russia also agrees to the terms. So far, Russia has refused, delaying the peace process.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Martin Fornusek
