EU foreign ministers pledge further support for Ukraine, approve tribunal to try Russian leaders
Let’s bring you the latest from Europe’s show of unity and support for Ukraine, in a direct response to the Russian parade in Moscow.
During a meeting in Lviv, in western Ukraine, representatives of EU countries, candidate countries and Britain sought to send a clear signal of solidarity amid ongoing Russian invasion.
“We are jointly celebrating the Day of Europe, while a parade is taking place in the Kremlin. And Putin – he may consider himself the so-called victor, but he has no right to monopolise victory,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
The EU pledged to disburse one billion euros ($1.1bn) from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to Ukrainian arms companies as part of its support to Kyiv as it fights off Moscow’s invasion, AFP noted.
“We have just made available 1 billion euros for the Ukrainian defence industry so that Ukraine could better defend itself,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. The funding would “directly support Ukrainian defence companies”, she added.
Separately, allies also approved a tribunal to try Russian leaders for “the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”
“We welcome the completion of the 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,” said a joint statement published by Ukraine’s foreign ministry.
Key events
European leaders from ‘coalition of willing’ to meet in Ukraine on Saturday, Zelenskyy says
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that European leaders from the “coalition of the willing” will meet in Ukraine on Saturday.
“In Ukraine, we are also preparing to meet with the leaders of the coalition of the willing … Tomorrow we have meetings,” Zelensky told a military summit in Oslo via video link, AFP reported, without saying who would attend.
I earlier brought you an update on the treaty between France and Poland, which is to be signed today in Nancy (10:09).
France’s Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s Donald Tusk are there now and we should hear from them in just over an hour.
Here are some pictures from their arrival in the city in eastern France, which has historical links to Poland: it’s a former seat of the exiled Polish king Stanislas I (Stanisław Leszczyński), father-in-law of the French king Louis XV.
And so, fittingly, the leaders met at Stanislas Square.
I will keep an eye on this for you.
And here’s the 2025 version, from Pjotr Sauer and Shaun Walker.
Russian troops fighting in Ukraine marched together with Chinese forces on Moscow’s Red Square to mark the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat, in a Victory Day celebration marked by greater spectacle than in recent years.
After several scaled-back Victory Days – with reduced military displays and few foreign guests – Vladimir Putin on Friday addressed the largest parade since his 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Truth and justice are on our side. The entire country, society, and people support the participants of the special military operation,” Putin said, using the Kremlin’s preferred term to describe the war.
The Russian leader also thanked a visiting North Korean military delegation – a signal of deepening ties and new geopolitical realities, following recent admissions from both sides that North Korean troops have been fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
This year’s parade featured an expanded military presence, with a new fleet of tanks rolling across Red Square, alongside rocket launchers, TOS-2 Tosochka heavy flamethrower systems, and Iskander ballistic missiles – all weapons used in the war in Ukraine. For the first time, several types of modern Russian-made drones were also on display, underscoring their role as a defining feature of the conflict.
The showcase of weaponry marked a stark contrast to 2024’s toned-down parade, when only a single Soviet-era tank rolled through Red Square.
The shift is likely to resonate in European capitals, where officials have grown increasingly concerned about Moscow’s ability to replenish its military stockpiles and ramp up weapons production.
Over his two and a half decades in power, Victory Day has emerged as the centrepiece of Putin’s vision of Russian identity.
But since the start of Russia’s full scale invasion, the Kremlin’s mass propaganda machine has given it new meaning, with Putin using the celebrations to justify the current war.
Richard Nelsson
Here’s an excerpt from our archives on the Russian Victory Day in 1945, and how it was reported by the Manchester Guardian.
Moscow
Moscow’s great day of rejoicing
11 May 1945The Soviet Union’s victory celebrations are popularly regarded as the greatest moment in the history of this country since the Revolution.
Never has Moscow seen such crowds, and never before during this war have the Soviet people shown their whole-hearted appreciation of Allied help so freely and emphatically. It was sufficient to look like a foreigner in Moscow up to the early hours of today to be kissed, hugged and generally feted. In Red Square all foreign cars were stopped and the occupants dragged out, embraced, and sometimes even tossed into the air.
At the British embassy a junior official was suddenly called upon to make a speech to a loudly applauding crowd which “stormed” the building.
Outside a big hotel known to be tenanted by many British and Americans a large crowd waited to pounce on everyone leaving and demand a speech.
In one of Moscow’s main squares a British woman on the staff of the newspaper Britansky Soyuznik was walking with a dog when a mass of people waving Red banners and cheering wildly bore down on her. She and the dog were chaired all the way back to the hotel.
The climax of the celebrations was a victory salute staged with massed searchlights and rockets lighting up the whole sky over the city while 1000 guns fired 330 salvoes.
Soviet papers appeared in victory editions today. Red Star’s front page was devoted to photographs of Marshal Stalin, Mr Churchill, and President Truman and the speeches made by these leaders in announcing VE Day.
On other pages were the last Order of the Day, photographs of Allied commanders, including General Eisenhower, Field Marshal Montgomery, Field Marshal Alexander, pictures of the Germans signing the surrender document in Berlin, and details of the new victory medal.
EU foreign ministers pledge further support for Ukraine, approve tribunal to try Russian leaders
Let’s bring you the latest from Europe’s show of unity and support for Ukraine, in a direct response to the Russian parade in Moscow.
During a meeting in Lviv, in western Ukraine, representatives of EU countries, candidate countries and Britain sought to send a clear signal of solidarity amid ongoing Russian invasion.
“We are jointly celebrating the Day of Europe, while a parade is taking place in the Kremlin. And Putin – he may consider himself the so-called victor, but he has no right to monopolise victory,” Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said.
The EU pledged to disburse one billion euros ($1.1bn) from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to Ukrainian arms companies as part of its support to Kyiv as it fights off Moscow’s invasion, AFP noted.
“We have just made available 1 billion euros for the Ukrainian defence industry so that Ukraine could better defend itself,” the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said. The funding would “directly support Ukrainian defence companies”, she added.
Separately, allies also approved a tribunal to try Russian leaders for “the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”
“We welcome the completion of the 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,” said a joint statement published by Ukraine’s foreign ministry.
Moscow Victory Day parade – in pictures
Let’s bring you some more pictures from the Moscow parade earlier today, a not very subtle attempt as showing off the Russian military power.
We must work towards ceasefire ‘without delay,’ Macron says after call with Trump
French president Emmanuel Macron posted a social media update on his last night’s phone call with US president Donald Trump.
His message is very similar to that of Merz in Brussels earlier, as he sought to put more pressure on Russia to end its invasion on Ukraine.
He said:
I spoke several times last night with @POTUS.
I commend his strong call for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, as did our British and Nordic partners earlier this morning.
We must all work towards this goal without delay, false pretenses, or dilatory tactics.
Ukraine has already expressed its support for such a ceasefire nearly two months ago. I now expect Russia to do the same.
Failing to do so, we are ready to respond firmly, together with all Europeans and in close coordination with the United States.
Ukraine says it uncovered a Hungarian espionage network
Ukraine’s main security agency says it arrested two people on suspicion of spying for Hungary by gathering intelligence on Ukraine’s military in the west of the country, AP reported.
The Security Service of Ukraine said in a statement that two suspects, both former members of the Ukrainian military, had been detained and face charges of treason, which is punishable by life imprisonment.
AP explained that the activities of the suspected spies were focused on the Zakarpattia region of western Ukraine, which borders Hungary and is home to a sizeable Hungarian ethnic minority.
The statement said it was the first time in Ukraine’s history that a Hungarian espionage operation had been discovered.
Russia’s Putin greets North Korean military personnel at Red Square parade
Back to Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin greeted North Korean military personnel on Red Square after a military parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, several weeks after Pyongyang’s troops helped Moscow oust Ukrainian forces from its Kursk region.
“All the best to you and all your troops,” state news agency TASS cited Putin as saying to several highly decorated officers from North Korea, which has emerged as one of Russia’s main allies during its Ukraine offensive, AFP reported.
Germany’s Merz says Russia could face new sanctions as he pledges support for Ukraine
Separately, new German chancellor Friedrich Merz is in Brussels today, his first trip to the EU’s capital since being appointed, where he faces a long day of meetings, starting with a chat with European Council president António Costa.
During a joint press conference, Merz paid tribute to one of the founding fathers of the European Union, Robert Schuman, for his foresight that “no one single country would be able to overcome the challenges alone that he saw 75 years ago and that we see again today.”
He stressed that he started his term in office by visiting Paris and Warsaw, but wants all European partners to “be able to trust Germany, and know they can rely on Germany.”
Merz declared Germany will continue to “firmly stand with Ukraine,” and “do everything we can do end this war as quickly as possible.”
He stressed that “Ukrainians need to be involved” in any discussions, and pledged that the EU would continue to “support Ukraine in being able to effectively defend itself.”
“We call upon Russia to now engage in a path towards a lasting peace, and if that does not happen, we will not hesitate to increase the pressure of sanctions with our European partner and the United States,” he said.
Outlining his priorities for EU policy, he said that member states should prioritise advancing the EU single market as a driver of the bloc’s competitiveness, and push for simplifying the rules.
The German chancellor also defended his government plans to tighten border checks, insisting that – despite reports in the German press – he had not declared a state of national emergency on migration, and all checks will comply with EU laws.
After his meeting with Costa, Merz will meet European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
British foreign minister to join 17 ministers on visit to Lviv to show support for Ukraine
Elsewhere, British foreign minister David Lammy will on Friday meet with his Ukrainian counterpart and 17 other foreign ministers in Lviv to discuss how to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, Britain’s foreign office said in a statement reported by Reuters.
“We stand for a just and lasting peace, for a secure Europe, and for accountability and justice,” Lammy said.
In his briefing, which just concluded, Tusk also pointedly criticised Slovak prime minister Robert Fico – without mentioning him by name – for attending the Moscow parade.
He said:
“For me it is unthinkable that one can be from this part of the world and – during the … Russian aggression against Ukraine – be in Red Square and celebrate the Victory Day together with those who are murdering children, civilians and attacking other countries.”
Poland’s Tusk hails new ‘cooperation’ treaty with France, with mutual security guarantees
Meanwhile in Warsaw, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk is currently briefing the media before his trip to France to sign a new Polish-French “enhanced cooperation and friendship treaty.”
Tusk will meet French president Emmanuel Macron in Nancy, France in early afternoon, with the signing ceremony scheduled for 4pm, to be followed by a joint press conference.
France has similar treaties with Germany and the UK, but it is the first time it will sign such an agreement with a country it doesn’t share a border with, Tusk says.
He says that signing the deal on Europe Day, a day to mark the anniversary of creating the European Union, sends a clear political signal.
“It all forms a certain narrative, which could be even more important than provisions in various documents and treaties,” he says.
Listing the most important features of the treaty, he says it includes further mutual security and defence guarantees in case of an attack, and a provision “opening up” the path to closer cooperation on nuclear deterrence.
“Both countries will pledge to offer mutual help, including military help, and we know what military capabilities France has,” he says.
The 14-page deal also includes provisions on economic, energy, and cultural cooperation, Tusk says, adding it was a “turning moment” for Poland’s international relations.
The Polish prime minister adds that the Polish-French treaty will also feed into discussions on a new Polish-British treaty, which is being drafted.
Putin speaks at Moscow parade
Russian president Vladimir Putin has just delivered a fairly brief (for his standards) speech at the Victory Day parade in Moscow.
He spoke of “joy and sadness, of pride and gratitude … to the generation that crushed the nazism at the cost of millions of lives.”
He also talked that Russia will “never agree” to events of the second world war “being distorted,” as he vowed to defend the dignity of the Russian army and always stand to “nazism, to Russophobia, to antisemitism.”
(Remember, Putin justified the invasion of Ukraine as fight against “neo-nazism.”)
And, indeed, he claimed that “the whole” of country backed the ongoing invasion on Ukraine.
“We are proud of their bravery and determination, of the fortitude that has always brought us only victory,” he said.
In a nod to Xi Jinping in the stands, Putin also made a pointed reference to not only Russian military successes and the contribution of the allied forces, but also “the courageous people of China” specifically.
Morning opening: Alternative futures of Europe
Jakub Krupa
A day after Victory in Europe Day celebrations in most of Europe, Russia stages a lavish – “biggest ever” – parade in Moscow to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the second world war, and show off its military might amid its continuing invasion on Ukraine.
Russian president Vladimir Putin hosts a number of global leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Despite repeated criticism from Brussels, Slovak prime minister Robert Fico is also there, the only EU leader in attendance.
In stark contrast, the Moscow parade takes place on the same day as many European foreign ministers make a symbolic visit to Ukraine instead to announce another round of support for the country and the creation of a new International Tribunal for the Punishment of War Crimes and the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.
Elsewhere, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Poland’s Donald Tusk are set to sign a new treaty on “enhanced cooperation and friendship” – expected to include security and defence elements – and German’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz visits Brussels for talks with the EU and Nato, after being in Paris and Warsaw earlier this week.
The two sets of events – engaging two different blocks of countries – offer very contrasting visions of potential future for Europe and come at the time of particularly tense moment in the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine, with more countries, particularly on the eastern flank of Nato, fearing similar attacks in the coming years.
We will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.
It’s Friday, 9 May 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.