The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin will issue an official declaration of war against Ukraine on May 9 following reports making that claim.
Since the start of the conflict in February, Putin and other Russian officials have described the conflict as a "special military operation." But reports this week speculated that an official war decree—which could entail a greater mobilization of Russian forces—would be declared on May 9, or when Russia commemorates Victory Day.
"It is not true. It is nonsense," Peskov told reporters.
Putin has used previous Victory Day speeches to needle the West and showcase the firepower of Russia's post-Soviet armed forces.
Also Wednesday, the European Union proposed its harshes sanctions yet against Russia, including a phased oil embargo. The European Commission announced that it would be phasing out supplies of Russian crude oil within six months and refined products by the end of this year.
If the plan is agreed upon by European Union governments, it would be possibly the most devastating economic blow to Moscow, which relies heavily on oil and gas exports.
"We want Ukraine to win this war. Yet so much has to be rebuilt. That is why I am proposing to start working on an ambitious recovery package for our Ukrainian friends. This package should bring massive investment to meet the needs and the necessary reforms," she also wrote.
Putin has said that its "special military operation" in Ukraine is necessary because the United States was using Ukraine to threaten Russia. He's also said that the operation is needed to stop the persecution of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. But Ukraine has said that it is fighting against Russian imperialism and that Putin's claims about genocide are untrue.