President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia's 9 May parade in Moscow will be held without military equipment for the first time in years — and that Ukrainian drones may fly over the city during the event. He spoke at the opening of the 8th European Political Community summit in Yerevan on 4 May.
"Russia has announced a parade on the ninth of May, but there will be no military equipment at this parade. This will be the first time, if this is indeed the case, in many, many years that they cannot afford the presence of weapons at the parade. And Ukrainian drones may also fly over this parade. This shows that they are already not as strong as before," Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy said the coming summer will be the moment when Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin decides what to do next — "expand this war or move to diplomatic paths."
"This summer will be the moment when Putin will decide what to do next. Expand this war or move to diplomatic paths. And we must push him in the direction of diplomacy," the president said.
Eve of the EPC summit
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Yerevan on 3 May 2026 ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) summit and spent the day in bilateral meetings with European partners. The summit, held under the slogan "Building the Future: Unity and Stability in Europe," takes place on 4 May with 48 heads of state and government invited.
In a Telegram post, Zelenskyy said the day was devoted to coordination with European partners and outlined three priorities. "First: we are doing everything to bring closer a dignified end to the war," he wrote. "I informed partners about the state of diplomacy, possible prospects, and planned contacts. Joint efforts are needed to activate diplomacy and not allow pressure on the aggressor to decrease. Russia must end this war of its own."
The second task, he said, is implementing the €90 bn European support package for Ukraine — "we are accelerating this financing." The third covers air defense and energy: "Strengthening Ukrainian air defense and energy support for Ukraine and cooperation with partners in the energy sector. Already now we are actively preparing for the new heating season and diversifying corresponding support."
Speaking before entering the summit venue on 4 May, Zelenskyy returned to the package. "You know that more than a week ago [the package of] €90 bn was unblocked. This is very important for the support and strengthening of Ukraine. We will talk about the dates when we can receive the tranches of this aid to strengthen support for our people," he said, according to Ukrinform. He also flagged EU accession and ongoing support against Russian aggression as topics for Yerevan.
Meeting with Starmer
Zelenskyy met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Yerevan, the President's Office reports. He thanked London for steps against Russia's shadow fleet: "You have set a strong example for other countries regarding the shadow fleet. And I think the Russian economy is feeling it, especially this year. We are also grateful for all your training missions for our warriors." He also thanked King Charles III for words of support during an address to the US Congress.
Starmer reaffirmed UK support: "As always, I convey and reaffirm the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and I salute your continued courage and resilience – both on the frontline and among civilians. Every time we think of Ukraine in the United Kingdom, we think of both those on the frontline and civilians."
The leaders discussed defense support — including contributions to the PURL initiative — and the negotiation process for what the President's Office described as "a just and dignified peace." Zelenskyy said Ukraine is ready for the next round of talks in a trilateral format; Starmer emphasized continued pressure on Russia. The two also coordinated preparations for an E3–Ukraine meeting bringing together the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, and discussed UK contributions to restoring Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy stressed that "Europe must coordinate its efforts and develop a joint air defense system to protect against threats from Russia," per the readout.
Meeting with Støre
Zelenskyy met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and thanked Norway for PURL contributions totaling nearly $1 bn, the President's Office reports. He underlined that "Russia is not stopping its ballistic missile strikes, so the timely funding of PURL is critically important."
Talks covered defense cooperation, work on a Drone Deal agreement, air defense, co-production, and private- and public-sector engagement. Briefing Støre on the battlefield, Zelenskyy said the occupiers "are not achieving success and are therefore forced to constantly adjust their plans." On energy, he set out Ukraine's needs for the coming winter and noted that Ukraine "must enter it prepared." The two also coordinated work in the NB8 format.
Meetings with Babiš and Orpo
Zelenskyy met Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš to discuss bilateral relations and Ukraine's EU accession, according to the President's Office. He said there are opportunities to deepen cooperation, with particular attention to the next steps on Ukraine's path to EU membership.
Zelenskyy also met Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to discuss strengthening Ukraine's air defense, Ukrinform reports.
Phone call with Fico
On 2 May, Zelenskyy held a phone call with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the President's Office reports. The leaders discussed bilateral relations and Ukraine's EU accession, with Fico stressing that Slovakia supports Ukraine's EU membership and is ready to share its accession experience. They exchanged invitations to Kyiv and Bratislava and agreed their teams would work on scheduling a personal meeting.
EPC summit context
The 4 May summit in Yerevan is the first held in the South Caucasus and the first to include a non-European country — Canada, represented by Prime Minister Mark Carney.
An EU official involved in preparations told Radio Liberty: "The summit involves informal but substantive discussions on the security and prosperity of Europe… For the first time, the summit is taking place in the South Caucasus — this is symbolic and underscores Armenia's geopolitical course, as well as the opportunity to mark the peace agreement with Azerbaijan. In addition to support for Ukraine, significant attention will be devoted to the crisis in the Middle East as part of a broader vision of European security."
According to documents seen by Radio Liberty, discussion blocks include countering foreign information manipulation — including during elections — and increasing critical infrastructure resilience to hybrid threats, with Zelenskyy and Starmer among the leaders engaged on this track. A separate block addresses resilience to global crises such as wars, pandemics, and migration, with leaders expected to focus on reducing dependence on energy imports in light of the war in the Middle East.
The previous EPC summit took place in October 2025 in Copenhagen.
