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.
The aftermath of a Russian drone attack against Ternopil, Ukraine, on Dec. 2, 2024. (State Emergency Service/Telegram)
Russian attacks against Ukraine killed at least four people and injured 23 across multiple regions, authorities reported on Dec. 2.
Russian forces launched 110 Shahed-type drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said.
Fifty-two were shot down, 50 were lost across Ukraine thanks to electronic warfare countermeasures, and six flew to Belarus and Russia, according to the statement.
A Russian drone hit an apartment building in the western city of Ternopil, killing at least one person and injuring four, officials said. Around 100 people were evacuated from the damaged building. The blast also damaged windows of the surrounding buildings, a school, and 20 cars.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, a 60-year-old man was injured during Russian attacks against Nikopol and the Marhanets community, Governor Serhii Lysak reported.
Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast injured five people, Governor Vadym Filashkin reported. Two injuries were reported in the town of Pokrovsk, two in the village of Shevchenko, and one in the Andriivka village.
In Kherson Oblast, three people were killed and 13 injured in Russian attacks over the past day, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. The three fatalities and 11 injuries were reported after Russian forces struck a minibus in the city of Kherson on Dec. 1.
Cherkasy, Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Luhansk, Poltava, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts also came under attack but no casualties were reported.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Oleksiy Sorokin
