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.
Photo for illustrative purpose. A man holds his passport during an interview in Belgrade, Serbia, on Feb. 1, 2024. (Andrej Isakovic/AFP via Getty Images)
A total of 3,344 foreigners have been granted Russian citizenship since the beginning of 2024 under one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's decrees, Irina Volk, a representative for the Russian Interior Ministry, claimed on Nov. 4.
Putin signed in January a decree allowing foreigners who have served a year under contract in the Russian army, as well as their close relatives, to obtain Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure.
According to the document, the mandatory knowledge of the Russian language, Russian history and legislation are excluded.
Volk did not specify whether the figure includes only mercenaries or their family members as well.
Since the start of the all-out war, Moscow has been recruiting foreigners from Nepal, Somalia, India, Cuba, and other countries to fight against Ukraine.
In August, Putin signed a decree allowing foreigners and stateless persons to apply for temporary residence in Russia on "moral grounds." Another decree made it easier for all Ukrainian residents to acquire Russian citizenship, a move condemned by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
