"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.
Yemenis brandish weapons and chant slogans during a rally by Houthi supporters on International Quds Day on March 28, 2025, in Sana'a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud / Getty Images)
The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on April 2 against a network of individuals and entities facilitating Russian arms purchases for the Houthis, a pro-Iranian Shia rebel group in Yemen.
The sanctioned network helped the Houthis acquire "tens of millions of dollars' worth of commodities from Russia, including weapons and sensitive goods, as well as stolen Ukrainian grain," according to the Treasury.
Russia had looted millions of tons of Ukrainian grain from occupied territories, with at least 180,000 tons stolen through Mariupol alone, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Oct. 8, 2024.
Estimates suggested that up to 6 million metric tons had been stolen by Russia by mid-2023. The theft, combined with attacks on agricultural infrastructure and threats to Black Sea shipping, has severely impacted Ukraine's agriculture sector.
The sanctions target two Afghan businessmen, a Hong Kong company linked to a Russian vessel transporting stolen Ukrainian grain, and the current and former Russian captains of the ship.
Three Russian-registered companies owned by one of the sanctioned Afghan individuals were also included. Additionally, an Iranian businessman residing in Turkey was sanctioned for his ties to Sa'id al-Jamal, the Houthis' chief financial officer, who is already under U.S. restrictions.
"The Houthis remain reliant on Sa'id al-Jamal and his network to procure critical goods to supply the group's terrorist war machine," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, emphasizing Washington's commitment to limiting the group's capabilities.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have been in conflict with Yemen's government since 2014 and with a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
Since late 2023, they have targeted commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, claiming they are retaliating against Israel's military operation in Gaza.
The U.S. has intensified airstrikes against the Houthis in recent weeks as part of a broader effort to curb their attacks on regional shipping.
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.
Yuliia Taradiuk
