"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.
A U.S. delegation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, meets Ukraninian officials, including Presidential Office head, Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, on March 11, 2025. (Andriy Yermak / Telegram)
Kyiv and Washington have agreed to begin technical-level discussions on a temporary 30-day ceasefire in Russia's war against Ukraine next week, Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak said on March 11 after talks in Saudi Arabia.
"Next week, we have already agreed that at the technical expert level, the teams will start talking about all the details," Yermak told reporters.
The deal marks a surprising shift for Ukraine, which has previously warned that a temporary pause in fighting would allow Russia to regroup and launch further offensives. The proposal would require Moscow to abide by the ceasefire terms.
Talks in Jeddah also led to Washington restarting key military and intelligence support for Ukraine, reversing a decision made after the Feb. 28 Oval Office confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to Yermak, the discussions also covered potential security guarantees for Ukraine, though he acknowledged that negotiations on this front are still ongoing.
"We understand exactly what we need. Our American partners understand this. They are sympathetic to this issue, but these conversations continue. Today, we have taken the first step, a very important one. And there is still much work to be done," he said.
Trump has previously refused to commit to security guarantees for Ukraine, saying in February that Europe should take responsibility for Kyiv's security.
Moscow has not publicly responded to the U.S.-backed proposal. Russian nationalist voices and pro-war bloggers have already expressed opposition to a ceasefire that would freeze the conflict along the current front lines.
Trump said the U.S. would seek to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin in discussions on the plan this week.
"It takes two for tango, as I have already said, so I hope he (Putin) will also agree as well, and I really think that would be 75% of the way, the rest is getting it documented," Trump said on March 11.
Martin Fornusek
