"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.
The South Korean flag also known as the Taegukgi, is seen flying in Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on March 5, 2023. (Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Ukraine has received $100 million as part of a loan from South Korea for budget assistance, the first time the country is providing aid to Ukraine's state budget, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Nov. 29.
According to Shmyhal, the funds will be devoted to Ukraine's social sector by supporting budget expenses.
In April of this year, Kyiv and Seoul signed an agreement enabling Ukraine to attract up to $2.1 billion in concessional loans over 2024-2029. The loan has a term of 20 years with an annual interest rate 1.0% and a five-year grace period.
Later in October, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko signed a loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Korea to attract the $100 million loan.
Ukraine faces a $35 billion budget deficit in 2025, and with Russia’s war continuing into its third year with no end in sight, the country has to rely on external financing to sustain its economy and war effort.
South Korea has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid throughout Russia's full-scale war but not with lethal assistance, as the country's legislation prevents direct arms supplies to war zones.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Nov. 27 visited South Korea and met with the country's President Yoon Suk Yeol as Russian forces make their fastest gains in months and thousands of North Korean troops are stationed in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
Although the South Korean president did not rule out supplying arms to Ukraine, there were no official announcements that Seoul had changed its stance after the visit of the Ukrainian delegation.
Experts told the Kyiv Independent that South Korea could provide the most significant support to Ukraine through ammunition supplies. The country fields not only 155 mm artillery but also stores 3.4 million 105 mm rounds compatible with some of Ukraine's guns.
A South Korean official recently said that direct supplies of 155 mm ammunition are not on the table.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Chris York
