"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 flag outside of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) headquarters is seen on February 03, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A U.S. federal court has barred further cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), ruling that its dismantling by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) likely violated the U.S. Constitution, the Associated Press reported on March 19.
The move follows the Trump administration's termination of 83% of USAID's foreign aid contracts while most of the agency's staff members have been laid off or placed on administrative leave.
The dismantling of USAID had broad implications, particularly for Ukraine, where the agency has provided $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and over $30 billion in direct budget support since Russia's full-scale invasion began.
The court order requires the Trump administration to restore email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those on administrative leave. The move does not reinstate the agency in full or reverse staff firings.
U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland rejected the administration's claim that Musk, the world's richest man and DOGE chief, is merely an adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Chuang pointed to Musk's public statements and social media activity as evidence of his control over DOGE, citing a post in which Musk wrote that he had "fed USAID into the wood chipper."
Musk, a close Trump ally, has aggressively pushed to dismantle USAID, slashing staff and publicly attacking the agency's work. The ruling states that USAID is likely unable to perform its legally mandated functions due to these actions.
"Taken together, these facts support the conclusion that USAID has been effectively eliminated," Chuang wrote in the preliminary injunction.
The lawsuit, filed by USAID employees and contractors, argues that Musk and DOGE exercise powers reserved by the Constitution for elected officials or Senate-confirmed appointees. Their attorneys said the ruling "effectively halts or reverses" many steps taken to shut down the agency.
Judge Chuang also ruled that Musk's actions likely harmed the public interest by stripping Congress of its constitutional authority to determine whether, when, and how to close a government agency.
The Trump administration's broader effort to curtail foreign aid has drawn criticism from health officials and humanitarian groups, who warn that such cuts will worsen global crises.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
