"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.
The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.
A Ukrainian delegation led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko meets with officials from Saudi Arabia led by Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih on Feb. 16. (Yulia Svyrydenko / Facebook.)
Delegations from Saudi Arabia and Ukraine met on Feb. 16 to discuss increased investment and bilateral cooperation between the two nations, ahead of a planned visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The news comes as senior U.S. officials prepare to travel to Saudia Arabia for talks with unspecified Russian representatives. Ukraine will reportedly not be taking part in these discussions.
The Ukrainian delegation is preparing with local officials for Zelensky's visit to Saudia Arabia, during which he will sign economic agreements with various countries in the region, First Deputy Prime Minister and Economic Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on Feb. 16.
"I am convinced that we have prospects for even more active involvement in investment from Middle Eastern countries," she said.
"Today, we saw significant interest, mainly in infrastructure projects, energy projects, innovation proposals, (and) agribusiness, primarily fertilizer production where Saudi Arabia has expertise."
Days before Svyrydenko's announcement, Zelensky told reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that he intends to pay official visits to Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, but has no plans to meet with any Russian or U.S. delegations in these countries.
"I will not meet with Russians, but then I will not meet with Americans there," he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff are expected to hold meetings with Russian officials in the coming days. The representatives from the Russian delegation have not been identified.
Ukrainian officials denied reports that a Ukrainian delegation would participate in the talks between U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Zelensky, said that there was "nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing."
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Dmytro Basmat
