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.
Opposition supporters carry a huge former white-red-white flag of Belarus during a rally to protest against the presidential election results in Minsk on Sept. 13, 2020. (TUT.BY/AFP via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The article was updated with the figure of Belarusians sentenced for treason.
Belarusian authorities have initiated a wave of arrests ahead of January’s election, Viasna human rights center reported on Nov. 6.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, is using repressions to lay ground for securing his seventh term.
According to Viasna, over 100 people have been detained in the last week. Many of those arrested have been linked to online neighborhood chats, which authorities recently labeled “extremist” and accused of being part of a conspiracy.
These local chats, once used to coordinate 2020 protests against alleged election fraud, are now seen as threats.
Jails are overcrowded, and many detainees, including political prisoners, face harsh conditions.
The number of treason convictions is also quickly increasing. Eighty-eight people received sentences on treason charges, twice as many as nine years ago, Viasna said.
Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned the crackdown, calling on the West to respond and urging Belarusians to vote against all candidates.
Belarus hasn’t had free or fair elections since 1994. The previous presidential election, which Lukashenko claimed to have won by a landslide with 80% of the vote, provoked nationwide protests and a subsequent regime crackdown on dissent.
In the course of quelling the opposition, Lukashenko’s regime eliminated independent media, closed over 1,700 non-profit civic organizations, banned all but four political parties loyal to the regime, and jailed over 1,300 political prisoners.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
Kateryna Denisova
