"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.
Posters in occupied Sevastopol promoting the re-election of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 14, 2024 (Photo by Ulf Mauder/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Russia has canceled this year's Victory Day parade in the occupied Crimean port city of Sevastopol, Russian state-controlled media reported on May 5.
Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said the Victory Day parade, to be held on May 9 to commemorate the Soviet victory in World War II, would not take place due to safety risks.
On May 9, Russia holds grandiose military parades in celebration of the end of World War II in Europe. Ukraine and most European nations mark May 8 as Victory in Europe Day.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on May 3 said Ukraine cannot guarantee the safety of foreign officials planning to attend Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, warning Russia could orchestrate provocations, including "arsons, explosions, or other actions," and attempt to blame Ukraine.
Russia is responsible for ensuring safety and security on its territory, Zelensky added.
The cancellation follows a reported Ukrainian sea drone strike that destroyed a Russian Su-30 fighter jet near the port of Novorossiysk on May 2, an unprecedented operation described by Ukraine’s military intelligence as the first time a sea drone has downed a jet aircraft. The $50 million jet reportedly crashed into the sea.
Sevastopol, a major naval base on the Black Sea, has been under Russian occupation since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Tim Zadorozhnyy
