"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.
The Russian and U.S. flags. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Getty Images)
Russia has suggested resuming direct air travel with the United States during diplomatic talks in Istanbul, Reuters reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Direct flights between the two countries were suspended in 2022 due to Western sanctions over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has not disclosed the U.S. response to the proposal, but Reuters noted that the shares of Russia's largest airline, Aeroflot, rose 3.8% following the news.
The Istanbul meeting between top U.S. and Russian officials lasted six hours and followed a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 12, as well as a high-level meeting in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18.
Both countries claim they are seeking to end the Russian-Ukrainian war and explore major business opportunities, but they are first focusing on reestablishing basic diplomatic ties, Reuters wrote.
"The need for practical results aimed at creating conditions for improving bilateral relations in the interests of the peoples of our countries was particularly emphasized," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
According to the ministry, both sides agreed on steps to ensure the uninterrupted funding of embassies and allow diplomats to work normally after years of expulsions and retaliatory disputes. Russia also raised the issue of reclaiming six embassy properties in the United States that were confiscated between 2016 and 2018.
The U.S. State Department’s statement on Feb. 27 did not mention any discussion of air travel.
Washington said the two sides had identified specific initial steps to "stabilize" the operations of diplomatic missions, including discussions on embassy staffing, visas, and diplomatic banking services with Russia.
Tennyson Dearing
