"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.
Petro Poroshenko attends the Eighth Ukrainian Women's Congress in Kyiv, Ukraine, on November 5, 2024 (Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Prosecutor General's Office announced on Feb. 14 that criminal proceedings have been opened against businessmen and former high-ranking officials recently sanctioned by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC).
The list includes oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, billionaire Konstantin Zhevago, former PrivatBank co-owner Hennadiy Boholyubov, Ukraine's 5th President Petro Poroshenko, and former pro-Russian lawmaker Viktor Medvedchuk.
"Each of these five individuals is being held criminally liable for committing serious and especially serious crimes," the Prosecutor General's Office said in a post on Telegram.
Poroshenko was charged in 2021 with high treason and aiding terrorist organizations for allegedly conspiring with Russian-backed separatists between November 2014 and January 2015. The scheme reportedly generated over Hr 3 billion ($72 million) in profits from coal supplies.
He said the decision to impose sanctions against him was politically motivated and unconstitutional.
Medvedchuk faces charges of high treason and violations of war laws, accused of helping Russia seize a Ukrainian oil and gas field in the Black Sea's Kerch Shelf.
He is also accused of passing secret military information, including the locations of Ukrainian military units, and creating a pro-Russian influence network in Ukraine.
Kolomoisky is under investigation for embezzling over Hr 5.36 billion ($129 million) from a financial institution and laundering nearly Hr 4.1 billion ($99 million).
He is suspected of orchestrating the contract killing of a legal company director who refused to annul a decision regarding a shareholders' meeting.
Zhevago is suspected of embezzling $113 million and misappropriating Hr 608 million ($15 million) from a Ukrainian bank through a conspiracy with bank officials.
This illegal transfer of funds to offshore accounts caused major financial losses to the institution. He is also under investigation for involvement in a criminal organization and money laundering.
Boholyubov is being investigated for illegal possession of another person's passport and organizing an unlawful border crossing with the help of a border guard. He is wanted by Ukrainian authorities for his role in aiding illegal border crossings.
The sanctions freeze all assets held by the targeted individuals in Ukraine and block them from conducting financial transactions, among other restrictions. The decree states that the measures are indefinite.
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.
Martin Fornusek
