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.
U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting with Nayib Bukele, El Salvador's president, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, US.., April 14, 2025. (Ken Cedeno / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump on April 14 dismissed President Volodymyr Zelensky's request to buy Patriot air defense systems, accusing him of "always looking to purchase missiles" while falsely blaming Kyiv for instigating the war with Russia.
"You don't start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles," Trump said during a White House meeting.
The comments followed Zelensky's interview with CBS News, in which he offered to buy 10 U.S.-made Patriot systems — worth $1.5 billion each — to shield Ukrainian cities from relentless Russian missile and drone strikes.
"We will find the money and pay for everything," Zelensky said, stressing that Ukraine is prepared to purchase, not request for free, the $15 billion package.
Kyiv has consistently urged Western allies to expand air defense assistance, warning that existing systems are insufficient amid Russia's intensifying aerial campaign, which most recently killed 35 civilians in Sumy on April 13.
Trump has not allocated any new aid packages for Ukraine and even briefly paused military assistance approved by the Biden administration last month to pressure Kyiv into accepting a minerals deal.
The U.S. president also expressed doubt about Zelensky's leadership and falsely claimed that the war was caused by the Ukrainian president.
"Millions of people dead because of three people," Trump said, naming Russian President Vladimir Putin, former U.S. President Joe Biden, and Zelensky.
Trump's claim directly contradicts the facts. Russia launched its unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, while Zelensky had repeatedly called for de-escalation prior to the invasion.
Trump earlier described Russia's deadly attack on Sumy — which struck a crowded civilian area with cluster munitions, killing two children — as "terrible," but suggested it was carried out by "mistake."
The U.S. president did not clarify the basis for his claim.
Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire on March 11, but Moscow rejected the proposal unless it included severe restrictions on Ukraine's military, including halting foreign aid.
Russia has continued to issue maximalist demands while escalating strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Trump, who has sought to broker a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, said on April 7 he was "not happy" with Russia's intensified bombardments across Ukraine.
NBC News reported on March 30 that Trump was "pissed off" at Putin's personal animosity toward Zelensky, while the Telegraph wrote on March 23 that he was increasingly angry over Russia's refusal to de-escalate the war.
Despite expressing frustration, Trump has so far avoided imposing any major sanctions or taking punitive action against Moscow.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
