"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.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau seen with members of Team Ukraine during Day 10 of the Invictus Games 2025 at Vancouver Convention Centre on February 16, 2025 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Eric Charbonneau/Invictus Games Foundation via Getty Images)
Team Ukraine secured a total of 30 medals during the 2025 Invictus Games, including 12 gold, 12 silver, and six bronze medal finishes.
The international sporting event, held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada, ran from Feb. 8 to 17 and featured 35 injured Ukrainian soldiers — the largest Ukrainian delegation to participate in the games.
Ukraine's total medal count marks the country's second best result at the Invictus Games, with the country finishing in fourth place overall in terms of medal count. Ukraine has participated in the Invictus Games since 2017, winning a record 34 medals in the last competition in 2023.
The United States placed first with 55 medals in total.
Ukraine's top athlete, Ukrainian Armed Forces Servicemember Ihor Oliinyk won a total of six medals, including three gold and three silver in various swimming events.
This year’s games featured 550 athletes with disabilities, injuries, and illnesses from 25 different countries, competing across 11 sports, from Alpine skiing to swimming.
The Invictus Games, created in 2014 by Prince Harry, has sought to create a community for service members, bringing people together through the games themselves and creating a larger network of service members who have lived through the experience of war.
The Economist estimates that nearly 400,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured and are unable to return to the front line. After coming back from the battlefield or captivity, soldiers are often left to deal with their physical and mental trauma alone.
As of July 2024, there are 1.3 million veterans in Ukraine, of whom nearly 80% are mobilized, Suspilne reported, citing the Veterans Affairs Ministry.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Kateryna Hodunova
