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.
Flag of Kastus Kalinouski Regiment waves during a protest in Sofia Square on March 14, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Oleksii Samsonov /Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Vasil Verameichyk, a former soldier of the Kalinouski Regiment fighting on Ukraine's side, was extradited from Vietnam to Belarus last week, the independent Belarusian outlet Zerkalo reported on Nov. 20.
Verameichyk now faces imprisonment, as the Kalinouski Regiment was recently declared a terrorist organization by the Supreme Court of Belarus.
The Belarusian regime under dictator Alexander Lukashenko has backed Russia in its aggression against Ukraine and cracked down on Belarusian citizens actively supporting Kyiv.
Verameichyk supported the 2020 protests against the electoral fraud in Belarus and then fled to Ukraine. There he joined Kastus Kalinouski's regiment at the beginning of the full-scale war and fought on the Ukrainian side, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Verameichyk later moved from Ukraine to Lithuania, where he was allegedly denied a residence permit because of his past service in the Belarusian army.
According to Belarusian media, he was arrested in Vietnam on Nov. 13 and extradited to Belarus the following day.
The Kalinouski Regiment is a military formation within Ukrainian forces, created in March 2022 to protect Ukraine from Russian invasion. It is composed of Belarusian volunteers.
In September, another fighter from the regiment who had been held in Russian captivity for two years was charged with mercenarism by Russian proxy authorities in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, Alexander Karpovich, head of the Belarusian Prosecutor General's Office, said that members of the regiment had allegedly recruited, armed, and trained "terrorists" and had been involved in financing "terrorist activities."
"On the basis of the provided evidence, the involvement of extremist-minded citizens, who are part of this formation, in the organization, planning, preparation, and commission of acts of terrorism on the territory of the Republic of Belarus was established," he added.
The Belarusian regime brutally suppresses dissent at home, using surveillance, violence, and trumped-up charges with lengthy sentences to intimidate any opposition.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Maria Yeryoma
