Today, on Saturday, May 10th, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will be in Kyiv to show their “unwavering” support for Ukraine and, following the United States, call on Russia for a “complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire,” according to a joint statement.
“We will continue to increase our support for Ukraine. We will intensify pressure on the Russian war machine until Russia accepts a lasting ceasefire,” the text reads. In Kyiv, the quartet will hold a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders of the “willing coalition,” mainly Western countries, ready to provide “security guarantees” to Ukraine. They will inform other countries of the “progress made towards a future coalition that brings together air, land, and maritime forces to help regenerate the Ukrainian armed forces after a possible peace agreement and to build trust in future peace,” according to their statement. Leading this coalition, whose contours are not yet clear, are the French president and the British Prime Minister, who have already met in Paris and London in recent months. The Europeans head to Kyiv buoyed by Donald Trump’s call, urging Russia to accept a “30-day unconditional ceasefire” threatening further sanctions.
Update as of May 9, 2025
(by Mattia Bernardo Bagnoli)
New glimmers of a ceasefire in Ukraine? Maybe, who knows. The new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, during his Brussels tour where he met with EU and NATO leaders, ventured a prediction: “Over the weekend, there is a possibility of reaching a full 30-day ceasefire, which could then turn into peace negotiations.” Merz, who recently met with Donald Trump, said he supports the US president’s efforts and now “the ball is in Russia’s court.” Volodymyr Zelensky has announced a meeting in the coming hours in Kyiv of the leaders of the Willing Coalition. The format has become very broad – over 30 participants in the last meetings in London and Paris – but in this case, the meeting will be in a hybrid format: some will be present in person, including French President Emmanuel Macron, others via video conference, like Giorgia Meloni. Merz himself hinted at very close coordination between Germany, Great Britain, France, and Poland on the issue.
Europe Day in Brussels, Victory Day in Moscow. Never as since the war broke out in Ukraine – after the Kremlin’s invasion – have two celebrations seemed in opposition, when in fact they share the same origin: the end of World War II and the defeat of Nazism. Vladimir Putin, during the traditional parade on Red Square, among missiles and tanks, warned: “All of Russia” supports the offensive, we will always be “an insurmountable obstacle to Nazism, Russophobia, and anti-Semitism” and we will fight “against the atrocities committed by the followers of these aggressive and destructive beliefs.” Thus drawing an (artificial) parallel with denazification in Ukraine.
Zelensky, not by chance, speaking at the Lviv summit where the Special Tribunal for Aggression Crimes was launched, twisted the knife in the wound: “Russia must be prosecuted just like the Nazis were.” Beyond the czar’s forced propaganda, the stalemate on the battlefield remains. Moscow is advancing, but at a very high cost in terms of human lives and economic costs. And Trump is getting nervous. What this entails, no one can say for sure. US Vice President JD Vance – while reiterating the ‘no turns, we’ll wash our hands’ mantra – has publicly drawn a clear line for the first time: “Russia cannot expect to gain territory it has not yet conquered,” he said in an interview on Fox News, explaining that the request for areas not yet controlled was part of “the elements requested in the initial peace plan.”
The phone call between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky was “very productive.” This was stated by White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, clarifying that it was the Ukrainian president who called the tycoon to inform him that the rare earth minerals agreement had been approved by the Kiev parliament.
The Willing Coalition summit in Kyiv could therefore turn out to be a piece of a larger puzzle, especially in light of the fact that the White House seems to have softened its warlike tones towards European allies. A French diplomatic source, for example, stated that the US and Europe are finalizing a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire that, if rejected, would lead to new joint sanctions against Russia (but there is still no definite agreement, it was emphasized). The czar, for his part, has secured the presence of two European leaders on Red Square, as well as many other familiar faces (primarily Xi Jinping and Ignacio Lula, in addition to the various courtiers of former Soviet republics). Namely the Serbian Aleksander Vucic and the Slovak Robert Fico. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas summed up the mood for all other Europeans (except Orban): “All those who support freedom should be in Ukraine today, on Europe Day, and not in Moscow.”
The allies of Kyiv in the EU have approved the creation of a tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for “aggression crimes against Ukraine,” meeting today in Lviv. “We welcome the completion of technical work on the draft legal instruments necessary to establish, within the framework of the Council of Europe, a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine,” a joint statement published by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reads.
Agenzia ANSA Kiev and EU approve the creation of the special tribunal – Europe – Ansa.it
The allies of Kyiv in the EU have approved the creation of a tribunal to process Russian leaders for “aggression crimes against Ukraine,” meeting today in Lviv on the same day that Russia commemorates the end of World War II (ANSA)
“No anthem played today on Red Square can drown out the sound of impending justice. Because today, on Europe Day, justice for Ukraine begins to take shape. In Lviv, a special tribunal for aggression crimes is being established. This is not just a legal step, but a powerful message to the world: Russia will have to answer for aggression crimes, because justice is the foundation of lasting peace.” This was stated by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Luxembourg alongside Antonio Costa, Roberta Metsola, and Prime Minister Luc Frieden, on Europe Day. “Today, from this house, I would like us to turn our eyes, hearts, and minds to Ukraine. Because that’s where the future of Europe is being written. It is written in the trenches, where the brave Ukrainian armed forces fight for their survival and our values. It is written in the Rada, where legislators are pushing through reforms to bring Ukraine into the Union. And we will walk with them, every step of the way. Where they rightfully belong: in our European family,” she emphasized.
“The creation of the special tribunal for aggression crimes means that no one should go unpunished for these crimes, not even the leaders who decided to send soldiers here to commit war crimes and atrocities.” This was stated by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas in Lviv. “It is a very important signal, and it is very important that nations that believe in the principles of the UN Charter join the tribunal,” she added.
Agenzia ANSA Kiev, Russian bombs on Ukraine despite Putin’s truce. One dead in Sumy raid – Europe – Ansa.it
Moscow, ‘Ukrainians trying to break through in Kursk during the truce’ (ANSA)
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