"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.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks as he attends the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting at the US air base in Ramstein, southwestern Germany, on Sept. 6, 2024. (Daniel Roland/AFP via Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his Sept. 22 evening video address to the nation that he begins his official visit to the U.S., where he will share his much-anticipated “victory plan” with foreign leaders.
“Ukraine will present the ‘victory plan’ to the United States. U.S. President (Joe Biden) will be the first to see it in its entirety,” Zelensky said, while talking aboard a plane.
“Of course, I will present the ‘victory plan’ to all the leaders of the partner countries, who, like President Biden, are world leaders who can become leaders of peace by helping us,” he added.
As part of Zelensky's "victory plan," Ukraine would ask for NATO membership within the months, not years, according to the information obtained by the Kyiv Independent.
Zelensky is expected to present the "victory plan" to Biden at the White House on Sept. 26. He also plans to discuss it with presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and members of Congress.
Ukraine said it is open to suggestions from the U.S. to strengthen the plan. U.S. officials said they had been acquainted with elements of Zelensky's strategy and voiced belief "that (it) can work."
After that, Zelensky promises to make the "victory plan" public.
Zelensky said that the plan was designed to end the war with the backing of international partners without relying on Russia's cooperation. However, he did not specify how it would achieve this.
According to Zelensky, he will visit an unspecified location in Pennsylvania and then travel to New York City and Washington, D.C.
“It is this fall that will decide what will happen next in this war. Together with our partners, we can strengthen our positions as necessary for our victory, joint victory – for a truly just peace,” the president added.
During his nearly week-long trip to the U.S., Zelensky will attend the U.N. General Assembly, speak with Biden at the White House, and meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, according to media reports.
Other meetings have not been announced at this time.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
