Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
Delegations of Ukraine and Montenegro held talks on Aug. 30, 2024, on signing a bilateral security agreement. (Presidential Office)
The delegations of Ukraine and Montenegro met on Aug. 30 to discuss the potential signing of a bilateral security agreement, Ukraine's presidential office reported.
Ukraine has already signed 25 similar agreements, including with the the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and France, aimed at helping Kyiv repel Russia's aggression amid the war. These agreements are based on a pledge made by the Group of Seven (G7) in July 2022.
Ukraine signed the most recent agreements with the Czech Republic and Slovenia in July, with seven more expected to follow.
Ukraine was represented in the talks with Montenegro by Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of the presidential office. Zhovkva said Ukraine is counting on "Montenegro's assistance on Ukraine's path to NATO membership."
The presidential office expressed hope that the agreement "will help strengthen security in Europe and deepen cooperation between the two countries."
Ukraine also announced in July that it is preparing to sign a bilateral security agreement with Ireland, though no date has been set.
Following the NATO summit the same month, 32 countries signed the Ukraine Compact, a security framework building on the G7 declaration made during last year's NATO summit in Vilnius.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Owen Racer
