"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.
Former Presidential Office advisor Oleksiy Arestovych at a forum in Kyiv on Dec. 11, 2020. (Evgen Kotenko/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed new sanctions against a number of individuals and entities, including former presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych, pro-Kremlin commentators, and several major Russian companies, according to presidential decrees published on May 1.
The move puts into effect a May 1 decision by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council that imposes economic and other restrictive measures on the individuals.
The sanctions target Arestovych, a former freelance adviser to the President’s Office. Since his resignation in January 2023, Arestovych has positioned himself as a critic of the Ukrainian government and has hinted at possible political ambitions, drawing sharp criticism from Ukrainian officials and civil society groups, some of whom accuse him of spreading narratives that echo Kremlin talking points.
The restrictions were also imposed on blogger Myroslav Oleshko, political analyst Kostiantyn Bondarenko, and Dmytro Vasylets, the former head of the banned political party “Derzhava.”
Political commentator Oleksandr Skubchenko, known for appearances on channels linked to pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, and Pavlo Onishchenko, head of the pro-Kremlin group “Slobozhanska Sich” were also sanctioned.
Two Russian journalists, Stanislav Bernwald and Anastasia Kashevarova, were also included in the sanctions list, as was Oleksii Azarov, son of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who led the government under pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
A number of Russian citizens are also subject to new restrictions, including the head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom Alexey Likhachev, and Russian journalists Stanislav Bernwald and Anastasia Kashevarova.
In addition to individuals, the sanctions affect several Russian enterprises, including the Novolipetsk Steel Plant, Novatek, Arctic LNG, Stoilensky Mining and Processing Plant, Volzhsky Abrasive Works, and Magnitogorsk Electrode Plant.
The measures include asset freezes, full trade bans, suspension of economic and financial obligations, restrictions on transit and transport across Ukrainian territory, and prohibitions on capital outflows. Additional steps include revoking Ukrainian state awards, banning sanctioned media in Ukraine, and suspending licenses and permits.
Entities and individuals under sanctions are also barred from participating in privatization auctions, leasing state property, or acquiring land in Ukraine.
Anna Fratsyvir is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent, with a background in broadcast journalism and international affairs. Previously, she worked as a TV journalist at Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne, covering global politics and international developments. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in International Communications from Taras Shevchenko National University and is currently an MA candidate in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Tim Zadorozhnyy
