"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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during his visit to Pretoria, South Africa, on April 24, 2025. (Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky has handed over a list of 400 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Zelensky said on April 24.
"Russia has abducted tens of thousands of children from the occupied territories. We must bring them all back," Zelensky said during a joint press conference with Ramaphosa in Pretoria.
"I really hope President Ramaphosa will help us bring them back."
Russia has kidnapped over 19,500 Ukrainian children during its full-scale war against Ukraine, forcibly deporting them to Russia, Belarus, or other occupied territories, the Ukrainian government said. As of today, 1,284 children have been safely brought back home.
Moscow also continues to hold thousands of military and civilian captives "for years in inhumane conditions," Zelensky noted.
At the press conference, Ramaphosa reaffirmed South Africa's commitment to peace, highlighting its participation in the African peace initiative in 2023.
"South Africa believes that the only path toward peace is diplomacy, inclusive dialogue, and a commitment to the principles of the U.N. Charter," he said. Ramaphosa also said that earlier this week, he discussed peace efforts with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Zelensky's trip to South Africa marks the first official visit by Ukraine's head of state to the country. The president nevertheless announced he would cut the visit short in response to Russia's deadly aerial strike on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities.
South Africa, the continent's largest economy that currently chairs the G20 group, has maintained a neutral stance in the war while deepening its economic and political ties with Moscow.
Kyiv has sought to bolster ties with African countries to engage them in the peace efforts and counter Russian influence on the continent.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
