"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.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meet at "The Relationship between Time and Civilisation" in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Oct. 11, 2024. (Iranian Presidency / Handout / Anadolu via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 7 that direct talks between the United States and Iran are underway to discuss Iran's nuclear program.
Speaking at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced that a "very big meeting" was planned for April 12 with Iranian officials.
Trump called the talks "very high level" and said that the U.S. is "dealing with the Iranians directly."
Meanwhile, Iran has rejectedU.S. demands to negotiate directly, Reuters reported on April 6, citing an Iranian official familiar with the matter.
The meeting will take place in Oman, where U.S. and Iranian officials will discuss a potential nuclear deal. Although the U.S. has yet to confirm its delegation, Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, is a likely candidate.
Relatedly, Russia has expressed interest in mediating the relationship between the U.S. and Iran.
"Russia is ready to make every effort, to do everything possible to contribute to this problem's resolution by political and diplomatic means," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on April 7.
Russia and Iran have deepened ties since the start of the full-scale invasion. Notably, Iran has provided Russia with thousands of Shahed drones used in attacks against Ukrainian cities, as well as short-range ballistic missiles.
In January, the two countries signed a strategic partnership agreement, strengthening cooperation in security and defense, as well as energy, finance, transportation, and other areas.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
