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.
A view shows the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery on the south-eastern outskirts of Moscow, Russia on April 28, 2022. (Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP via Getty Images)
The loss of a key European market has dealt a severe financial blow to Russian energy giant Gazprom, resulting in net losses of 1.076 trillion rubles ($13.1 billion) in 2024, the Moscow Times reported on March 18.
Gazprom's losses averaged $251 million per week, $35 million per day, or $1.4 million per hour. While the company's total revenue increased by 11% and its gas revenue by 14%, it still ended the year with a sales loss of 192 billion rubles ($2.3 billion).
The company's financial troubles were compounded by falling share prices in its subsidiary Gazprom Neft and an increased income tax rate of 25%, which raised deferred tax liabilities.
In 2023, Gazprom posted a net loss under international accounting standards for the first time in 25 years, recording a historic deficit of 629 billion rubles ($7.6 billion).
Despite attempts to maintain its presence in Europe, Gazprom's gas exports to the EU remained low. In 2023, the company delivered 32 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, nearly six times less than its peak of over 180 billion cubic meters in 2018-2019.
The downturn has forced Gazprom to implement cost-cutting measures, including mass layoffs. On Jan. 13, Russian media outlet 47News reported that the company was preparing to lay off 1,600 employees from its central office.
Gazprom's financial woes stem largely from the EU's decision to reduce reliance on Russian energy following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Compounding its troubles, Russia's direct pipeline gas supplies to the EU have ceased completely after Ukraine refused to extend its transit agreement with Gazprom beyond Dec. 31, 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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
