"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.
Protestors with Georgian and EU flags take part in a rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, against alleged interference and pro-Russian propaganda operations in a recent parliamentary election.
Thousands of opposition supporters gathered outside of Georgia's parliament on Nov. 4 for the second consecutive Monday, protesting the Oct. 26 election, which they allege was rigged with Russian assistance to favor the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Demonstrators waved Georgian and EU flags, demanding new elections under international oversight and an investigation into alleged voting irregularities.
Key opposition figures, like Badri Japaridze from the Lelo Strong Georgia Coalition, declared they would boycott parliament and hold continuous protests until their demands are met.
The protests come amid growing dissatisfaction with Georgian Dream, which critics accuse of authoritarian tendencies and aligning with Moscow at the expense of EU aspirations.
Amid the protests, which were closely monitored by riot police, opposition leaders called on the West to withhold recognition of the election results.
European election observers reported a divisive election environment with incidents of bribery, double voting, and intimidation.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Oct. 27 that the Georgian parliament will approve the government despite the opposition's protests.
Tbilisi's adoption of the controversial foreign agents law earlier this year also sparked mass demonstrations.
Shortly after the election results were announced, the European Commission announced on Oct. 30 that the process of Georgia's accession to the European Union had been suspended.
Although Georgia received EU candidate status last December, the accession process has been "de facto halted due to the course of action taken by the Georgian government since Spring 2024," the European Commission's statement read.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
