"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.
Ukrainians evacuated from Lebanon on Oct. 1, 2024. (Foreign Ministry / Telegram)
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) and Foreign Ministry evacuated 179 people from Lebanon on Oct. 1 amid escalating violence in the Middle East, the Foreign Ministry reported.
The evacuation comes after Israel on Oct. 1 launched a ground invasion of southern Lebanon as part of its campaign against the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. In the days leading up to the incursion, Israel intensified aerial attacks against Lebanon, killing hundreds.
Iran retaliated aganst the incursion with a missile attack against an Israeli air base.
In a statement following Israel's ground invasion, the Foreign Ministry called on all parties "to exercise maximum restraint in order to prevent the conflict from developing into a large-scale regional war."
Ukraine later announced it had successfully evacuated 179 people, including 134 Ukrainian citizens.
"Among the Ukrainians, there are 112 adults and 22 children," the Foreign Ministry said.
"In addition, 45 people of other nationalities were evacuated— citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Moldova, Brazil and Lebanon."
A dog and a cat were included in the evacuation, the ministry added.
Kyiv began evacuating Ukrainians from Lebanon in early August in response to heightening tensions in the region. Since then, Ukraine has evacuated 234 people from Lebanon.
The ministry thanked Poland and SkyUp Airlines for assisting with the operation.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Kateryna Denisova
