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.
Russian actor Yuriy Borisov attends a SAG-AFTRA Foundation conversation for "Anora" at SAG-AFTRA Foundation Robin Williams Center on Dec. 03, 2024 in New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)
Russian actor Yura Borisov, who has previously starred in Russian propaganda films and illegally visited Russian-occupied Crimea, has received an Academy Award nomination for his role in the film "Anora."
Borisov is nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category, the U.S. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Jan. 23.
Borisov is the first Russian actor to land an Oscar nomination in nearly five decades. This recognition of a Russian actor who has never spoken out against Russia's aggression comes as Moscow continues to wage a brutal war against Ukraine, which has already killed tens of thousands of people, including at least 12,300 civilians.
Directed by U.S. filmmaker Sean Baker, "Anora" is a modern-day reimagining of the Cinderella story set in Brighton Beach's Russian community. It follows a young sex worker from Brooklyn who impulsively marries the son of a Russian oligarch.
The film has also been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress at the 97th Academy Awards. The Oscars ceremony will be held on March 2 this year.
Borisov is an acclaimed Russian actor who has starred in a number of Russian films promoting state propaganda, such as "AK-47," which was partially filmed in occupied Crimea.
Russia invaded and illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Entering Crimea from Russian territory is illegal.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion eight years later, Borisov hasn't publicly spoken out against his country's war of aggression.
The decision has once again sparked a debate over the glorification of Russian culture and cooperation with Russians while Moscow is committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Earlier in September, the Toronto International Film Festival sparked outrage for screening "Russians at War," a documentary by a Russian-Canadian filmmaker that whitewashes Russian soldiers participating in the invasion of Ukraine.
At this year's Oscars, the Ukrainian documentary "Porcelain War" is nominated for Best Documentary Feature.
Directed by Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev, the film tells the story of three Kharkiv artists who joined the Ukrainian army while continuing to create porcelain figurines as an act of cultural resistance during Russia's full-scale invasion.
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.
Yevheniia Motorevska
