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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Ukraine and Australia flag together realtions textile cloth fabric texture. (Oleksii Liskonih/Getty Images)
The Australian government is investigating reports that Russian forces captured an Australian citizen fighting for Ukraine, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Dec. 23.
The man, who identifies himself as 32-year-old Australian Oscar Jenkins, is seen in military fatigues being violently interrogated in a video shared on Russian Telegram channels. The interrogator behind the camera is seen hitting the captive over the head while questioning him in Russian about his identity.
The footage was first shared by Russian military correspondent Alexander Sladkov on Dec. 22.
"I’m Australian... Oscar Jenkins, 32 years old. Live in Australia and Ukraine," Jenkins responded in English with a native accent and in broken Ukrainian.
The man introduces himself as a biology teacher who wanted to help Ukraine and is now based near Kramatorsk, a Ukrainian city in Donetsk Oblast, around 700 kilometers (430 miles) east of Kyiv and 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of the front line.
The Sydney Morning Herald confirmed Jenkins' identity as a Melbourne man who studied biology and lived in China since 2015.
Australian officials said they are working to confirm Jenkins's whereabouts and contacting Russian authorities.
"We urge the Russian Government to fully adhere to its obligations under international humanitarian law, including with respect to prisoners of war," Australia's acting Foreign Minister and Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.
"Our immediate priority is understanding where Mr Jenkins is and confirming his wellbeing."
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the Australian embassy in Moscow is trying to obtain all the details regarding Jenkins but warned that "we know that the Russians often put out information that isn’t right."
Russia is believed to focus on capturing foreign volunteers fighting for Ukraine, who it presents as "mercenaries" without a right for protection, for potential prisoner swaps. Citizens from dozens of countries have come to Ukraine to help the country resist Russian aggression, mostly joining the International Legion.
In November, Russian forces captured James Scott Rhys Anderson, a former British soldier fighting for Ukraine in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
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.
Martin Fornusek
