Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko holds a candle as he visits Valaam Monastery with the Russian President, in nothern Russia on July 25, 2024 (Alexander Kazakov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Belarus moved a third of its army to the border with Ukraine earlier in the summer, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview on Aug. 15.
Speaking to the Rossiya TV channel, Lukashenko claimed it was in response to a build-up of Ukrainian troops that had been prompted by a misinterpretation of preparations for Belarus's Independence Day celebrations on July 3.
Lukashenko claims that in the lead-up to the event, large numbers of men and materiel were moved from positions both inside Belarus and Russia in order to take part in the event.
The Belarusian dictator claims Kyiv and its Western allies interpreted this as a possible redeployment for a repeat of the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion when some of Moscow's forces launched their attack from Belarus.
"They thought that ‘Putin will attack from the territory of Belarus again'," he said.
He claimed that Ukraine keeps 120,000 troops on the border with Belarus which were then "boosted" with even more troops.
"In response, I had to redeploy almost a third of the army to reinforce the border," he added.
Lukashenko said he later managed to speak to Ukrainian officials through special channels and the situation was resolved through diplomatic means.
"They withdrew those additional forces. We also withdrew the additional forces we had brought in," he said.
Despite the tale of rare cooperation between Ukraine and Belarus, the rest of the interview took a far more hostile tone, with Lukashenko once again fully backing Russia and Putin in their agression against Ukraine.
He also said that if Belarus comes under ground attack, it could use the tactical nuclear weapons that Russia reportedly placed in Belarus in 2023.
Lukashenko also accused – without offering any evidence – "high ranking" people "of American origin" of stoking the war with the aim of destroying all three countries.
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Maria Yeryoma
