"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.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) talks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of the Opening Plenary session of the European Political Community meeting, at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, southern England, on July 18, 2024 (Kin Cheung / Pool / AFP)
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in New York on Sept. 25, thanking him for "supporting Ukraine throughout his tenure."
In a post on social media, Zelensky said the pair discussed several issues, including "the need to enhance Ukraine's air defense, (and) the continued efforts on an invitation for our state to join NATO as soon as possible."
Stoltenberg is stepping down as NATO Secretary General next month. Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will take his place.
Zelensky is in the U.S. this week where is expected to present his victory plan to U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Sept. 26.
An invitation to join NATO is part of the plan, the head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said on Sept. 24.
Ukraine applied for NATO membership in September 2022, half a year into Russia's full-scale invasion.
During my meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg @jensstoltenberg, I thanked him for supporting Ukraine throughout his tenure as Secretary General of the Alliance and for his efforts to unite the world in helping Ukraine and strengthening our army.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 25, 2024
The July NATO summit in Washington ended with the launch of the Ukraine Compact, a security framework signed by 32 allies. The countries affirmed Kyiv's "irreversible" path toward membership, though Ukraine did not receive any definitive news about its future accession.
Biden said that peace in Ukraine means a guarantee that Russia will never occupy the country again, but Kyiv's membership in NATO is not necessary for this.
According to Zelensky, who has repeatedly called on partners to issue a membership invitation to Kyiv, Ukraine will join NATO only after Russia's full-scale war ends.
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
