"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.
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.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, on Feb. 21, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect U.S. National Security Adviser Make Waltz' nomination for US Ambassador to the UN by President Donald Trump.
U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were dismissed from their current roles in the Trump administration, Fox News reported on May 1, following a high-profile Signal group chat leak involving sensitive military discussions.
U.S. President Donald Trump later in the day announced Waltz' nomination for as the next United States Ambassador to the United Nations.
Waltz, a former Florida congressman and decorated Green Beret, had been under pressure since March, when the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief revealed he was inadvertently added to a Signal group chat where top officials, including Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, discussed military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Waltz has also reportedly created and hosted other sensitive national-security conversations on Signal with cabinet members, including those on peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Waltz later took full responsibility for the March incident, calling it “embarrassing” in an April interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
Previously, Waltz has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, suggesting he is not genuinely seeking an end to the war with Russia. He also pressed Kyiv to sign the minerals deal, saying Ukraine "needs to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal."
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy and longtime ally, is being considered as a possible replacement for Waltz, CNN reported on May 1 citing undisclosed sources.
Witkoff, a real estate developer with limited diplomatic experience, has raised concerns among some officials due to his alignment with Russian narratives and his informal role in key international negotiations, including U.S. talks with Iran and efforts to end Russian war in Ukraine.
Recently, he has emerged as Trump's de facto personal envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff has been to Moscow at least four times for talks with the Russian president and other top officials.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Anna Fratsyvir
