"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.
Flags of Ukraine and the European Union (EU) wave with the blue sky in the background. (Getty Images)
Two European Union accession clusters for Ukraine are expected to open during the first half of 2025 under Poland’s presidency of the EU Council, a high-ranking EU official told the Kyiv Independent on Dec. 18.
EU accession negotiations are structured according to clusters and chapters. During the negotiations, a candidate country prepares to implement EU laws and standards.
Poland’s EU presidency is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2025, with the clusters likely to be opened closer to the summer, according to the EU official.
The first two clusters are expected to be the "Fundamentals," which includes the judiciary, fundamental rights, public procurement, and financial control chapters, as well as the "Internal market" cluster, which covers consumer and health protection, free movement of goods and capital, free movement for workers, intellectual property law, and other chapters.
These developments align with Ukraine’s ambitious goal of accelerating its integration into the EU.
Speaking on Dec. 17, President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized Ukraine's commitment to advancing its EU accession process.
“During Poland’s EU presidency, we expect to open at least two clusters and six in total. Our goal is very ambitious — to open all the clusters next year,” he said.
The EU’s Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, said that Ukraine could potentially join the bloc by 2029 if it successfully implements necessary reforms.
The European Commission has praised Ukraine's progress in areas such as judicial reform, the rule of law, and anti-corruption measures.
Ukraine was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, with the European Council approving the launch of accession talks in December 2023.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
