German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the European Union would not be intimidated by Moscow’s “show of force” on Tuesday after Russia held its annual Victory Day military parade. Addressing the nation from Moscow’s Red Square, President Vladimir Putin claimed “a real war” had been unleashed on Russia. Earlier, officials in Kyiv said Russian forces had fired a dozen cruise missiles at Ukraine’s capital overnight. Follow FRANCE 24 for live updates. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
4:33pm: US announces new security assistance package for Ukraine
The United States on Tuesday announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country’s air defenses and provide it with additional artillery ammunition.
The package underscores the continued US commitment to Ukraine “by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defense systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine’s armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term,” the Defense Department said in a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the US, describing the package as a “sign of solidarity” on the day Europe celebrates peace and unity on the continent.
3:44pm: Putin accuses the West of waging ‘war’ on Russia
Russia celebrated Victory Day on Tuesday, 14 months after its invasion of Ukraine. During the commemorations in Moscow, President Vladimir Putin said the West has unleashed “a real war” against Russia, repeating the rhetoric used to justify the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Several parades across Russia were cancelled while the parade in Moscow was largely scaled back.
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2:45pm: China warns EU against sanctioning Chinese companies with Russian ties
China on Tuesday warned the European Union against imposing sanctions on Chinese companies over Russia, saying it would take action to protect their interests.
Referring to discussions within the EU over possible restrictions against eight Chinese companies, Foreign Minister Qin Gang said that if punitive action was taken, “China will also take the necessary response to firmly protect the legitimate interests of Chinese companies”.
2:28pm: EU legislators speed up ammunition production for Ukraine delivery
EU lawmakers on Tuesday voted to speed up consideration of a law to boost ammunition production in Europe to the tune of 500 million euros ($550 million), due to efforts to supply Ukraine.
The decision should see the new legislation – termed the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) – in place by the end of the year, MEPs and European Commission officials said.
The spending proposal, initiated by the commission, comes as the bloc seeks to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine over the next 12 months, adding to a stream of military deliveries.
1:10pm: Zelensky slams ‘unacceptable’ EU curbs on Ukraine grain exports
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed restrictions on grain exports from his war-torn country during a press conference in Kyiv with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen.
“All restrictions on our exports are completely unacceptable right now. They only reinforce the abilities of the aggressor,” Zelensky said, referring to curbs imposed by neighbouring EU nations, which he described as a boon to Russia.
“We are waiting for the EU to stop all restrictions as fast as possible,” he added.
11:45am: EU must not be ‘intimidated’ by Putin’s military parade
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged Europe to stand strong against Moscow’s war on Ukraine, responding to Russia’s bombastic military parade.
“In Moscow, 2,200 kilometres northeast from here, Putin is parading his soldiers, tanks and rockets. Let us not be intimidated by such a show of force,” Scholz told the European Parliament, referring to Russia’s Putin.
“Let’s stay steadfast in our support for Ukraine – as long as it is necessary,” he said.
11:15am: AP wins Pulitzers for Mariupol coverage
The Associated Press has won two Pulitzer Prizes for its coverage of the war in Ukraine, earning recognition for its breaking news photography of the Russian invasion, as well as the prestigious public service award for its startling dispatches from the besieged port city of Mariupol.
10:40am: Wagner boss says Russian state unable to ‘defend’ country
The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin has questioned the Kremlin’s ability to defend Russian-held territory in his latest outburst.
“Why is the state not able to defend its country?” Prigozhin said in a scathing video, adding that Ukraine was hitting Russian border regions “successfully”.
He said Russian soldiers were “fleeing” the army because the defence ministry was “instead of fighting, scheming all the time.”
9:35am: Putin tells Moscow parade world is at ‘turning point’
President Vladimir Putin told Russians that the world was at a key turning point and they were engaged in a patriotic struggle for the future of their country as he invoked the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.
“Today, civilization is again at a decisive turning point. (…) We have repulsed international terrorism, we will protect the inhabitants of Donbas, we will ensure our security,” Putin said.
In a 10-minute speech on Red Square, the Russian leader repeated familiar messages he has delivered many times in the nearly 15 months of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
He said “Western globalist elites” were sowing hatred of Russia, while the Ukrainian people had become “hostages to a state coup” and to the ambitions of the West.
9:25am: ‘A real war’ is being waged against Russia, Putin says
Russia’s Vladimir Putin has accused Western leaders of “sowing hatred and Russophobia” in his traditional Victory Day address, marking victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“A real war is being waged against our motherland”, Putin told Russian troops gathered on Red Square in the heart of Moscow, more than a year after he launched Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
9:10am: Russia holds pared-down Victory Day parades amid ‘security concerns’
Moscow and other Russian cities are hosting military parades and other festivities to mark Victory Day, Russia’s biggest secular holiday that this year has been significantly overshadowed by the war in Ukraine.
At least 21 Russian towns and cities have cancelled the traditional parades – the staple of celebrations across Russia – for the first time in years. The Immortal Regiment processions, in which crowds take to the streets holding portraits of relatives who died or served in World War II – another pillar of the holiday – have also been called off in multiple places.
Regional officials blamed unspecified “security concerns.” Some speculated, however, that the reason behind cancelling Immortal Regiment marches was the fact that Russians might bring portraits of relatives who died in Ukraine to those processions, illustrating the scale of Russia’s losses in the drawn-out conflict.
7:55am: EU’s Von der Leyen arrives in Kyiv for ‘Europe day’ celebration
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Kyiv to mark the Europe Day celebration of peace and unity, designed as a symbolic retort to Moscow’s annual Victory Day parade.
The president of the European Commission travelled on an overnight train from Poland to see President Volodymyr Zelensky and work on Ukraine’s quest for eventual EU membership.
On Monday, Zelensky said he had submitted a bill to parliament to formally commemorate World War II in Ukraine on May 8 – instead of May 9, the traditional anniversary date in Russia and other ex-Soviet countries.
The Ukrainian leader said the country would mark a separate Europe Day on May 9, promoting peace and unity on the continent.
7:10am: Head of Wagner Group says still no sign of promised ammunition
Russia’s mercenary Wagner forces have not yet received the ammunition promised by Moscow, the head of the group has said, rowing back from comments made just hours earlier.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose forces have spent months trying to capture the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut, added that he did not want to “spoil” Russia’s big Victory Day parade, and would reveal more details afterwards.
“The people who were supposed to fulfil the (shipment) orders have so far, over the past day, not fulfilled them,” Prigozhin said in a video post on the messaging app Telegram.
Late on Monday, he had said preliminary data showed his troops were beginning to get the ammunition, while cautioning they had not “seen it in practice”.
6:15am: Russia launches new attack on Ukraine’s capital
Russia has launched about 15 cruise missiles at Kyiv, the second attack in as many days, with air defence systems shooting all of them down, officials said, after air raid alerts blared over most of the country.
“As at the front, the plans of the aggressor failed,” Serhiy Popko, head of the capital’s military administration, said in comments posted on the Telegram messaging app.
The attacks come a day after Russia launched its biggest drone swarm yet in a renewed air campaign unleashed 10 days ago after a lull since early March.
They coincide with Russia’s Victory Day, one its most commemorated public holidays, marking the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.
Key developments from Monday, May 8:
Russian forces launched a large-scale wave of strikes across Ukraine ahead of the annual Victory Day celebrations, killing four people and injuring five.
The strikes targeted the capital Kyiv, where officials said 36 Iranian-made kamikaze drones were shot down, as well as the Black Sea city of Odesa and other cities.
In a new break with Moscow, Ukraine marked the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s World War II defeat on Monday, rather than Tuesday, in line with its Western allies.
Read yesterday’s live blog to see how the day’s events unfolded
(C) France M?dias Monde graphic studio
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
