"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.
A view of the Russian Central Bank headquarters in Moscow on May 26, 2022. (Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP via Getty Images)
Russian oil and gas revenue fell by 17% year-on-year in March to 1.08 trillion rubles ($12.8 billion), as forced discounts on crude and a stronger ruble hit budget inflows, the Moscow Times reported on April 3, citing Russia's Finance Ministry data.
The ministry said the government lost roughly 230 billion rubles ($2.7 billion) in tax income compared to March 2024, with oil and gas revenues accounting for one-third of the total state income.
Energy revenues remain a key source of financing for the Kremlin's war against Ukraine, despite Western sanctions and a price cap designed to limit Moscow's earnings from oil exports.
For the second month in a row, Russia's raw material rents dropped by nearly 20%, and for the first quarter of 2025, total oil and gas tax revenues fell by 10% compared to the same period last year.
The decline follows tougher U.S. sanctions imposed on Jan. 10 by former President Joe Biden, targeting Russian energy firms, oil tankers, and insurers involved in oil logistics.
Due to the move, Russian crude faced difficulties in international markets. China, one of Russia's largest oil buyers, temporarily halted purchases of Russian ESPO crude as concerns over U.S. restrictions led to logistical and financial complications.
Russian oil traders have since been forced to offer significant discounts to attract buyers, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 11.
U.S. President Donald Trump also warned on March 31 that he could impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil exports unless Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to "make a deal" to end the war in Ukraine.
Although Trump has occasionally suggested additional punitive measures against Moscow, he has yet to take decisive action, while Russia shows no signs of halting its offensive.
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
