"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.
Participants walk in front of a large screen displaying the logo of Russia's energy giant Gazprom during the St. Petersburg International Gas Forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on Sep. 15, 2022. (Olga Maltseva/AFP via Getty Images)
The Russian energy giant Gazprom is preparing to lay off 1,600 employees from its central office as it faces significant financial losses and dwindling market presence in Europe, Russia's local 47News media outlet reported on Jan. 13.
The news comes after Ukraine halted the transit of Russian gas to other European countries, ending an arrangement dating back to Soviet times.
Deputy Chairman of the Management Committee Elena Ilyukhina reportedly sent a letter to Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller, outlining the need for cost optimization due to "challenges facing the Gazprom Group."
The letter suggests that 50 billion rubles ($480 million) are spent annually on salaries. To address this issue, it proposes reducing the central office workforce from 4,100 to 2,500 employees.
Sergey Kupriyanov, deputy chairman of Gazprom's Board of Directors, confirmed the letter's authenticity to Forbes Russia but declined to provide further comments.
Gazprom has suffered massive losses following the collapse of its European gas market, with exports to Europe dropping by more than 80% since 2021. Shares of the company fell to their lowest level since January 2009, trading at 106.1 rubles ($1.01) on Dec. 17, representing a 33.5% decline since the start of 2024.
Heavy taxation further burdened Gazprom, which contributed $28 billion to the Russian government in 2023, accounting for 9% of state revenue.
The EU's decision to pivot to alternative gas sources after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered the decline, significantly reducing Europe's reliance on Russian supplies, with the exception of countries like Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria.
Russia's direct pipeline gas supplies to the EU have now halted completely as Ukraine chose not to prolong the transit deal with Gazprom past Dec. 31, 2024. At the same time, the EU countries purchased record volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2024.
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.
Martin Fornusek
