"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.
Photo for illustrative purposes. A stork flies above a wheat field as a combine harvester of TVK Seed agricultural company harvests wheat close to Myronivka, Ukraine on July 29, 2022. (Alexey Furman/Getty Images)
Ukraine's agricultural exports reached $24.5 billion in 2024, accounting for 59% of the country’s total exports, the Agriculture Ministry reported on Jan. 3.
This marks a significant recovery, nearing pre-war levels and achieving the second-highest record after 2021’s $27.7 billion.
Ukraine, a global agricultural powerhouse, exported 78.3 million tons of products in 2024, including grains and sunflower seeds critical to markets across Africa and Asia.
Sunflower oil led the exports at 21%, with nearly 6 million tons worth $5.1 billion. Corn matched this share, with 29.6 million tons exported for $5 billion. Wheat followed at 15%, totaling 20.6 million tons worth $3.7 billion.
Other notable exports included rapeseed (7%, $1.8 billion), soybeans (5%, $1.3 billion), and oilcake and residues (4%, $1 billion). Meat and poultry products accounted for 4% ($958 million), while barley and sugar each made up 2% of exports at $557 million and $418 million, respectively.
Throughout Russia’s full-scale war, Moscow has sought to obstruct Ukraine’s agricultural exports, blockading the Black Sea and attempting to replace Ukrainian products in global markets with its own, including grain looted from occupied territories.
Despite these challenges, Ukraine reopened a maritime trade corridor in 2023, enabling the revival of its agricultural exports.
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
