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.
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 3, 2025. (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump could impose additional sanctions on Russia if a ceasefire with Ukraine is not reached by the end of April, Axios reported on April 11, citing an undisclosed source.
The warning follows Ukraine's agreement to a full 30-day ceasefire on March 11 during talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia. Russia rejected the proposal unless it included restrictions on Ukraine's Armed Forces and an end to foreign military aid.
The impasse has led to growing frustration in Washington. Trump has adopted increasingly forceful rhetoric, saying he is "pissed off" and "very angry" at Russian President Vladimir Putin over continued strikes and attacks on the credibility of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Although a partial truce covering energy infrastructure remains in effect, both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement.
Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, traveled to Russia on April 11 to meet with Putin, marking their third meeting, Axios reported.
The visit comes days after Putin's envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, traveled to Washington, expressing "cautious optimism" about renewed contacts.
Despite repeated threats, the Trump administration has yet to impose new sanctions on Russia. The White House previously paused all military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine in March, pressuring Kyiv to agree to a minerals-for-access deal.
U.S. and Russian officials also held talks in Istanbul on April 10 about embassy operations. The same day, the two countries conducted a prisoner exchange, with Russia releasing U.S.-Russian national Ksenia Karelina in return for German-Russian citizen Artur Petrov.
Ukraine was reportedly not on the Istanbul talks' agenda, but the U.S. and Russia have held two rounds of direct discussions on peace in Ukraine in Saudi Arabia since February.
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.
Chris York
