"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.
President Donald Trump speaks at an event unveiling plans to host the 2027 NFL Draft in the Oval Office of the White House on May 5, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Annabelle Gordon for the Washington Post via Getty Images)
U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 5 that Russia has grown more willing to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine following a sharp decline in oil prices.
"I think Russia, with the price of oil right now, oil has gone down, we are in a good position to settle, they want to settle. Ukraine wants to settle," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Oil and gas revenues accounted for nearly 30% of Russia's budget in January and February, according to government data cited by Bloomberg.
The roughly $15-per-barrel drop since the start of the year has strained the Kremlin's finances, already burdened by soaring military expenditures in early 2025.
According to Reuters, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed on May 3 to a large production increase in June, further pressuring prices.
Despite Western sanctions and price caps aimed at curbing Moscow's oil revenues, energy exports remain a crucial funding source for Russia's war effort.
Trump claimed "we've come a long way" in negotiations and suggested a breakthrough could be imminent, adding, "Hopefully it will."
Since early March, Ukraine has signaled readiness for a full 30-day ceasefire if Russia agrees to reciprocal terms. Moscow has refused, demanding extraordinary concessions, including a halt to all foreign military aid to Ukraine.
Trump has threatened tariffs and sanctions against Russia multiple times, but has not imposed concrete measures since taking office. Shortly after his inauguration, he warned Moscow that the U.S. could "do it the easy way or the hard way."
On April 26, Trump voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin's reluctance to negotiate, saying Putin might be "tapping me along" and uninterested in a deal.
Kyiv has repeatedly urged Washington to intensify economic pressure on 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.
Abbey Fenbert
