George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) visiting a military training base in North Korea's western region shown on a TV at Seoul's Yongsan Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea on March 7, 2024. (Kim Jae-Hwan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
At least 100 North Korean troops have been killed while fighting for Russia against Ukraine, a South Korean lawmaker said after an intelligence briefing, the BBC reported on Dec. 19.
Another 1,000 of Pyongyang's soldiers have been injured, South Korean MP Lee Sung-kwon told reporters, connecting the high casualty rates to the lack of experience with terrain and drone warfare.
The comments come after an undisclosed U.S. official estimated for the media that "a couple of hundred" of North Korean troops have been injured or killed since joining combat earlier this month.
Pyongyang has dispatched over 10,000 of its soldiers to help oust Ukrainian troops fighting in Russia's Kursk Oblast since early August, Kyiv and Western officials said.
"Within the Russian military, complaints have reportedly surfaced that the North Korean troops, due to their lack of knowledge about drones, are more of a burden than an asset," Lee Sung-kwon said in comments quoted by the BBC.
After reporting initial but limited clashes with North Korean troops in the fall, Ukraine said that in December, Russia also began using the soldiers in ground assaults.
The full extent of North Korean losses might be hard to ascertain, as President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is trying to hide the casualties.
Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed on Dec. 16 that North Korean personnel had engaged in combat operations alongside Russian troops in Kursk Oblast and suffered their first losses.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
