"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 view of a room with journalists during a press conference by President Volodymyr Zelensky, as Ukraine marks one year since the large-scale invasion of Russia in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2023. (Aleksandr Gusev/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 19 to ensure press freedom in Ukraine and hold accountable those who intimidate journalists.
This follows growing concerns about government actions that reportedly obstruct the work of media outlets, including online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda.
In a letter, the CPJ highlighted a troubling pattern of restrictions over the past year, saying they "curtail the operations of a free press" and undermine Ukraine’s democratic values.
The organization also criticized a proposed bill in the Verkhovna Rada that could impose harsher criminal penalties for publishing information from public databases during martial law, saying that it threatens investigative journalism.
The CPJ urged Zelensky to take immediate steps to protect media independence and address these issues, emphasizing that such actions are crucial for maintaining Ukraine’s international standing.
"Any pressure on journalists is unacceptable," the letter said, calling for a commitment to ensure a free and safe environment for the press in Ukraine.
The CPJ’s appeal comes after Ukrainska Pravda accused Ukraine's President's Office in October of systematic attempts to influence its editorial policy.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) raised similar concerns earlier this year, reporting a decline in press freedom and increased state pressure on media autonomy, even as Ukraine rose slightly in RSF’s annual press freedom index.
Media watchdogs have expressed concerns that investigative journalists continue to face harassment and surveillance years after incidents that drew public and international condemnation.
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.
Kateryna Denisova
