"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.
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.
Kazem Jalali, Iran's ambassador to Russia, attends a Russia-Iran session in the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022 (SPIEF 2022). (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Russia will launch two Iranian satellites, Kowsar and Hodhod, into orbit on Nov. 5 using a Soyuz launcher, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said on Nov. 4.
"In continuation of the development of scientific and technological cooperation between Iran and Russia, two Iranian satellites, Kowsar and Hodhow, will be launched into 500-kilometer orbit on Tuesday, Nov. (5), at 2:48 Tehran time by a Soyuz launcher, Jalali said on X.
The delivery of the two satellites to Russia was reported on Oct. 12, underscoring the deepening cooperation of the two Western-sanctioned countries.
Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, is designed for agricultural use, environmental monitoring, and disaster management. Hodhod, a small communications satellite, aims to provide satellite-based connectivity in remote areas with limited terrestrial networks.
Russia previously launched Iranian satellites into orbit in February and again in 2022, raising concerns from U.S. officials about the potential military implications. These officials worry that the satellites could support Russia's operations in Ukraine and help Iran monitor military targets across Israel and the Middle East.
The ties between Moscow and Tehran deepened since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022. Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed drones used in attacks against Ukraine and even close-range ballistic missiles.
Chris York
