"(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 and Argentine President Javier Milei meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 22, 2025. (Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky held separate meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Argentine President Javier Milei on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 22.
Zelensky is leading a Ukrainian delegation at the forum, which takes place Jan. 20-24. His agenda includes bilateral talks with world leaders and meetings with top business officials.
The meeting with Vucic centered on security guarantees and the two countries' path to membership in the European Union, the Presidential Office said.
Vucic has previously called Ukraine a "friendly country" and affirmed that Crimea and Donbas are sovereign Ukrainian territories, despite Serbia's historically warm relationship with Russia.
During the meeting, Zelensky stressed to Vucic that "sustainable peace must be supported by strong security guarantees."
Zelensky's meeting with Milei touched on matters of economic cooperation, recent global events, and cooperation with the U.S. following Trump's inauguration. Zelensky also issued a warm invitation for Milei to visit Ukraine.
"You are a much-awaited guest in Ukraine," the president said.
"I invite you to get to know the Ukrainian people, they love you very much. I want you to see with your own eyes how Ukrainians are fighting and what they are going through during this war. And I really want Ukrainians to feel how much you respect them."
The leaders agreed to maintain high-level contacts between Ukraine and Argentina and discussed possibilities for developing trade and expanding economic cooperation.
Milei has repeatedly expressed firm support for Ukrainian sovereignty in the face of Russia's full-scale invasion. Zelensky visited Argentina in December 2023 to attend Milei's inauguration, and the two leaders held talks in Buenos Aires.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Daria Shulzhenko
