"(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.
An anti-government fighter steps on a torn up portrait of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Hama, a day after rebels captured the central-west city, on December 6, 2024 (Mohammed AL-RIFAI / AFP)
Syria's new government will decide the fate of Russian military bases based on national interests, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra told The Washington Post on Feb. 6.
Russia's ability to retain its naval base in Tartus and airbase in Khmeimim will depend on what Moscow offers in return, Abu Qasra indicated. "If we benefit Syria from it, yes," he said.
Following the overthrow of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December, Russia began withdrawing assets from Syria, raising doubts about the future of its military presence in the country.
The new government has reportedly requested that Russia hand over Assad and his close aides, Reuters reported on Jan. 28, citing a Syrian source familiar with the negotiations.
The demand was raised during initial talks between Syrian officials and a Russian delegation, which took place shortly after Assad fled to Moscow.
While Abu Qasra did not confirm whether transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa formally asked for Assad's extradition, he noted that any future relations with Russia must serve Syria's interests first.
Relations between Moscow and Syria's new government have "significantly improved," the defense minister said, despite Russia's past support for Assad, including airstrikes against opposition forces during their rapid advance on major cities in late 2024.
Russia deployed troops to Syria in 2015 to bolster Assad's regime, which used Moscow's backing to suppress opposition through mass imprisonment, torture, and executions.
During the Jan. 28 talks, Syria's new leadership pressed Russia to acknowledge "past mistakes" and offer compensation, but the Russian delegation refused to concede, according to a Reuters source.
Ukraine has also engaged with Syria's new government on the issue. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Damascus on Dec. 30.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi later said Kyiv and Damascus share similar views on Russia's military presence, though details were not disclosed.
Given al-Sharaa's past ties to al Qaeda, Western officials have remained cautious about the transitional president's intentions as he attempts to rebuild a war-torn society.
"While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken," EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas posted on X on Jan. 27, adding that the EU plans to scale up humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in Syria."
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
