Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the idea of a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, claiming in an interview with ABC News on May 10 that it would be "an advantage" for Ukraine.
"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.
A general view of the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine on March 29, 2023. (Andrey Borodulin / AFP via Getty Images)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 19 that he had discussed with U.S. President Donald Trump the possibility of U.S. assistance in restoring the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest nuclear facility in Europe, currently under Russian occupation.
"Water supply, technical staff, and many more steps to ensure that in a year and a half to two and a half, the plant starts to bring money and electricity to people. This is my vision," Zelensky said during a Zoom briefing for journalists.
The Zaporizhzhia plant's location, the city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on the east bank of the Dnipro River, remains under Russian occupation, and Ukraine has no access to the surrounding territory.
During the phone call, Trump suggested to Zelensky that the U.S. could be "very helpful in running the plants with its electricity and utility expertise" and that "American ownership of those plants would be the best protection," the White House said, without naming specific facilities.
During the March 19 briefing, Zelensky noted that Trump, during their phone call, had asked whether the U.S. could play a role in rebuilding the facility.
"Yes, if we can modernize it, invest money. This can be discussed, but we talked about only one station," Zelensky said.
Zelensky confirmed on March 14 that the fate of the Zaporizhzhia plant and adjacent Russian-occupied territories had been discussed with the U.S. during bilateral talks in Saudi Arabia a week earlier.
While the station remains under Russian control, it does not generate electricity. The facility has been repeatedly disconnected from Ukraine's power grid due to Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure. Moscow has ignored calls to relinquish control of the facility.
Experts told the Kyiv Independent that regaining control over the plant is challenging for Ukraine and that maintaining a military presence there without liberating the surrounding areas remains unlikely.
Ukraine and its allies have consistently urged Russia to withdraw its troops from the plant, warning of nuclear safety risks posed by its militarization.
Russian forces continue to occupy about 20% of Ukraine, with reports of systematic repression, torture, and forced deportations emerging from occupied territories.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Martin Fornusek
