"Our involvement in the war was justifiable, and this belongs to our sovereign rights," North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said. "I regard this as part of the sacred mission we must execute for our brothers and comrades-in-arms."
"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 congratulates Ukrainian military on the Territorial Defense Day on Oct. 7, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Oleg Palchyk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine is developing an internal plan for strengthening the country in the economic, military, informational, and other spheres, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in his evening address on Oct. 24.
According to Zelensky, the internal plan, together with the victory plan, will ensure that Ukraine "has the right answers to all the challenges of this year and next year."
The confirmation comes days after a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent that Kyiv is preparing an action plan to withstand Russia's full-scale war.
The plan is not an alternative to Zelensky's victory plan and provides for steps to be taken by Ukraine itself.
The president tasked Ukrainian top officials with developing the plan. The president said Ukraine's economy, countering Russian disinformation, social protection, and "the issue of justice" need to be strengthened.
"This plan for internal strengthening will also guarantee Ukraine's unity," he added.
The plan is expected to be prepared and presented to the Ukrainian public by the end of 2024, BBC Ukraine reported earlier on Oct. 23, citing unnamed government sources. The Kyiv Independent's source said that it may take several more weeks to develop the document.
The victory plan also includes a defense aspect, non-nuclear deterrence of Russian aggression, economic growth and cooperation, and post-war security architecture. It is also comprised of three classified addenda that have been shared with international partners.
Ukraine's president said that a victory plan "can bridge the gap between the current situation and the successful peace summit."
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Martin Fornusek
