"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 visits the Command Posts of the Operational Tactical Group Kharkiv and the 13th Khartiia Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine on March 22, 2025. (Photo: Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky visited front-line troops near Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast and held a military command meeting in Kharkiv Oblast on March 22, as Russia continues to press on in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky has previously said that Russia is attempting renewed offensives in various parts of the front line, including in Kharkiv Oblast.
The president visited the command post of the tactical group "Pokrovsk" and was briefed on front-line developments by acting commander Yurii Madiar. The embattled town has been among the most hotly contested areas of the front, though Zelensky reported on March 15 that the situation near Pokrovsk had "stabilized."
On the same day, Zelensky visited the command post of the tactical group "Kharkiv" and was updated about the battlefield situation in Kharkiv Oblast by Commander Viktor Solimchuk.
The Russian army has not stopped trying to expand its footholds in the northern areas of the region, Solimchuk said.
Zelensky presented soldiers in both areas with medals, including the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi.
"I want to thank you for truly bringing Ukraine closer to a lasting and just peace, to victory. We all deeply want this, and every step is important," he said.
Zelensky later held a military cabinet meeting in Kharkiv with senior officials in the armed forces and the Presidential Office.
The president and his team discussed key front-line developments and prepared for the upcoming meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on March 23, the Presidential Office said.
Zelensky previously said the delegation would meet on March 24, the same day the U.S. is set to hold separate meetings with Russian delegates. CBS News correspondent Jennifer Jacobs reported on March 21 that a U.S. technical team would meet with Ukrainian officials a day earlier.
"If progress is made in Riyadh with Russian team, the U.S. technical team may meet again with the Ukrainians' team later Monday," Jacobs wrote, citing sources familiar with the talks.
Zelensky also plans to meet European leaders in Paris on March 27 in a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Natalia Yermak
