"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.
Illustrative purposes: A Belgium F-16 jet fighter takes part in the NATO Air Nuclear drill "Steadfast Noon" (its regular nuclear deterrence exercise) at the Kleine-Brogel air base in Belgium on Oct. 18, 2022. (Kenzo Tribouilllard/AFP via Getty Images)
NATO begins its annual nuclear exercises, Steadfast Noon, on Oct. 14, involving nuclear-capable fighter jets but not live weaponry.
The two-week drills will involve over 2,000 military personnel and 60 aircraft from eight airbases. They will take place in Belgium, the Netherlands, and in the airspace over Denmark, the U.K., and the North Sea, with 13 NATO countries sending aircraft to participate.
The routine drills come amid heightened tensions as Russia changed its nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for its nuclear response.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats against Ukraine and its Western partners since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The threats have failed to materialize, and Russia continues to wage its all-out war without using its nuclear arsenal.
"Nuclear deterrence is the cornerstone of Allied security," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
"Steadfast Noon is an important test of the Alliance's nuclear deterrent and sends a clear message to any adversary that NATO will protect and defend all Allies."
The drills involve various aircraft, including bombers, fighter escorts, refueling aircraft, and planes capable of reconnaissance and electronic warfare.
This year, the first F-35A from the Dutch Air Force was declared ready to perform nuclear roles.
Martin Fornusek
