"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.
U.S. Sen. John Thune speaks after being elected Senate Majority Leader for the 119th Congress following the Senate Republican leadership elections at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Republicans in the U.S. Senate elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota as their next majority leader in a 29-24 vote on Nov. 13.
The Republican party took back control of the 100-seat chamber in the U.S. elections on Nov. 5. Republicans claimed a sweeping victory, securing control of the Senate, House of Representatives, and the White House.
Thune represents the establishment wing of the conservative party, as opposed to those closely associated with President-elect Donald Trump. Trump allies including Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson advocated for Florida Sen. Rick Scott, a Trump loyalist, to win the majority leader role.
Thune will officially become the majority leader when the new Senate is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2025.
"We are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump's agenda," Thune told reporters after his election.
In previous statements, Thune has expressed support for Ukraine, including backing continued U.S. aid to Kyiv amid a Republican-led congressional obstruction campaign.
"America cannot retreat from the world stage," he said in March 2024.
"American leadership is desperately needed ... and we need to make sure that Ukraine has the weaponry and the resources that it needs to defeat the Russians."
While Thune has criticized Trump in the past, he reportedly told senators that he was willing to cooperate with Trump, including on issues relating to Ukraine, according to the Washington Post.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Oleg Sukhov
