"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.
The coat of arms of the Russian Federation on the front of the State Duma building in Moscow, Russia, on April 15, 2021. (Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Russia's State Duma approved in the first reading a package of three bills tightening control over dissent and expanding state repression, Russian independent news outlet Meduza reported on April 2.
The proposed laws broaden the definition of "foreign agents," allow trials in absentia for anti-war offenses, and introduce harsher penalties for "discrediting" the military.
The first bill expands the criteria for labeling individuals as "foreign agents," a designation the Kremlin has used to target independent media, NGOs, and critics.
Under the new provisions, anyone assisting foreign organizations that "act contrary to Russia's interests" or gather military-technical information could be classified as a foreign agent.
Those labeled as "foreign agents" face strict financial reporting requirements, fines, and public stigma, effectively silencing dissent and limiting free speech.
The second bill allows trials in absentia for citizens who have left Russia, covering 20 categories of crimes, including spreading "fakes" about the Russian army, "discrediting" the military, calls for extremism, and violating Russia's territorial integrity.
Since the start of its full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has used censorship laws to prosecute dissent, with thousands facing fines or prison sentences for criticizing the war or reporting non-state-approved information.
After President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization in September 2022, hundreds of thousands of Russians fled the country to avoid conscription.
The third bill introduces stricter penalties for anti-war offenses. Those accused of providing "self-serving assistance" to international organizations that Russia does not participate in could face up to seven years in prison.
The legislation also increases sentences for "discrediting" the Russian army and calling for sanctions against Russia, with penalties of up to five years in prison if committed for profit.
If passed in subsequent readings, the laws would further entrench the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent and solidify legal mechanisms to prosecute Russians abroad.
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
