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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a press conference in Kyiv on April 22, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Tetiana Dzhafarova / AFP)
Ukraine will not legally recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea under any circumstances, President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a briefing in Kyiv on April 22.
"There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine," Zelensky told reporters.
The statement comes amid reports that the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
Zelensky warned that any discussion of Crimea risks shifting negotiations into a framework dictated by the Kremlin. He said such proposals play directly into Russian President Vladimir Putin's "game."
"As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, the talks enter the format that Russia wants — prolonging the war – because it will not be possible to agree on everything quickly," he added.
While acknowledging that signals about Crimea have surfaced in different channels, Zelensky said Ukraine would reject immediately any official proposal.
"We know where these signals are sounding and will continue to sound," he said, adding that he was unsure whether they originated from Russia or certain U.S. representatives engaged in dialogue with Putin.
On April 14, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Fox News that a potential peace deal could center on the status of five territories.
While he did not name them explicitly, he is believed to be referring to Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, along with the partially occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.
Ukraine is expected to present its position at a follow-up meeting in London on April 23, where delegations from Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France will continue discussions.
Zelensky said the Ukrainian delegation going to London will have a mandate to discuss terms for a full or partial ceasefire with Russia. Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia in any format but only after an unconditional halt to hostilities, he added.
Zelensky also stressed that sustained international pressure — especially from the United States — is necessary to reach a meaningful settlement.
"We've been at war for over 11 years," Zelensky said. "Is it possible to reach an agreement with Russia quickly? No, it is not. It is impossible without pressure."
Despite expressing frustration over Russia's refusal to de-escalate the war, U.S. President Donald Trump has so far avoided imposing any major sanctions or taking punitive action against Moscow.
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.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
