"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.
Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via a video link outside Moscow, Russia on April 11, 2023. (Gavriil Grigorov / Sputnik / AFP)
Russian officials are concerned that the Western sanctions are undermining Russia's economic influence over countries in its close neighborhood and the Global South, the Financial Times reported on Feb. 10, citing a leaked government report.
Moscow is reportedly attempting to restore its position and access to global trade by placing itself at the center of a Eurasian trade bloc that would rival the economic influence of the U.S., EU, and China.
The news underscores the impact of Western sanctions on Russia and its mounting economic challenges connected to the nearly three years of the full-scale war against Ukraine.
The planned initiative aims to connect Russia with the Global South through shared access to raw materials, financial and transportation links, and a unified economic policy, including a separate sanctions framework, according to the news outlet.
Russia reportedly sees the project as a long-term strategy that will continue regardless of the outcome of negotiations on the war in Ukraine.
The report acknowledges significant obstacles. Western pressure has hindered Moscow's efforts to integrate nations in its neighborhood, as Central Asian countries have sought to align with global markets that bypass Russia.
The report also notes that Western governments have used a combination of threats and incentives to ensure compliance with sanctions.
Russia's allies have exploited the situation by pushing Russian businesses out of their jurisdictions, taking control of trade flows, and demanding additional commissions to offset the risks of sanctions violations.
Belarus is cited as a success story for Moscow, while Kazakhstan has distanced itself by refusing to recognize Russia's territorial claims in Ukraine and demonstrating compliance with Western sanctions. Kyrgyzstan, by contrast, has become a key route for sanctions evasion.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU has adopted 15 sanctions packages targeting Moscow's economy, while the U.S., U.K., and Switzerland have imposed similar measures to curb Russia's ability to sustain its war effort.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
