"(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.
The U.S. White House in Washington, D.C., on March 9, 2025. (J. David Ake/Getty Images)
The United States anticipates a "positive announcement" following the latest round of talks between U.S. and Russian delegates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported on March 24, citing an unnamed White House source.
Delegates from Moscow and Washington held a 12-hour meeting in Riyadh on March 24 to discuss the possibilities of a ceasefire in Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The talks reportedly focused largely on a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
The U.S. believes the recent talks were productive and expects "a positive announcement" soon, an unnamed White House source told Reuters.
The announcement is expected "in the near future," the source said.
The U.S. and Russia plan to release a joint statement on the meeting on March 25, a Russian source said. A draft statement has reportedly been sent to both parties for approval.
Reuters earlier reported that the U.S. delegation was led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the U.S. National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official.
The Russian delegation reportedly includes Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov.
The talks are the latest step in U.S. President Donald Trump's attempt to secure a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire during a call with Trump on March 18, but offered to immediately impose a partial ceasefire on energy sector attacks.
A U.S. team also met with a Ukrainian delegation in Riyadh on March 23, the day before the Russia talks. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian side, called the meeting "constructive and meaningful."
The Ukrainian officials reportedly plan to remain in Saudi Arabia an extra day for further talks with the U.S.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
