Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
Ukrainian university students who fail the basic military training exam or refuse to swear the military oath will not be permitted to continue their studies, Deputy Defense Minister Serhii Melnyk said on Jan. 18.
Melnyk's comments follow the Defense Ministry's announcement on Jan. 17 that basic military training for students enrolled in higher education institutions will begin in September 2025.
"I would like to emphasize that (basic military training) is mandatory for everyone," Melnyk said.
"And if students cannot pass the exam for some reason or pass it unsatisfactorily, if they refuse to take the military oath, they will not be able to study in higher education institutions in the future."
President Volodymyr Zelensky approved an updated version of the law on military service in Ukrainethatstipulates systematic basic military training for students.
The course will consist of 90 academic hours of theoretical study and 210 academic hours of practical training. The theoretical portion is compulsory for both men and women, ages 18 to 25. The practical course is mandatory only for men.
Following completion of the training course, students will take the military oath, receive a certificate, and obtain a military specialization.
The law reflects the changes Ukraine's educational institutions have undergone since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian goverment has amended enrollment policies to curb draft evasion and launched drone education programs.
Starting in 2024, Ukrainian schools also launched a pilot program updating the Defense of Ukraine subject, which has been taught since the Soviet era. The updated subject will become mandatory in 2027.
Yevhen Kudriavets
