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.
An oil worker at a Tatneft facility, an oil company operating in Tatarstan, Russia, on June 4, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
China is on track to receive a record level of Russian oil imports for the month of March, Bloomberg reported on March 18, citing data from the analytics company Kpler.
Reuters reported in January 2024 that Russia had surpassed Saudi Arabia to become China's largest supplier of oil. While India has also remained a critical market for Russian oil, payment issues, in part related to Western sanctions, have caused delays in the trade of oil between the two countries.
The U.S., the EU, and other partners have banned the import of Russian seaborne oil, although the product continues to flow to some European countries via pipelines. The Group of Seven (G7) countries have also imposed a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian crude shipped to global markets.
Data from Kpler indicated that China was set to receive 1.7 million barrels of Russian crude oil per day for the month of March, a figure that includes triple the previous all-time high level of Sokol oil. The increase is in part related to the reduction in India's purchase of oil, Bloomberg reported.
It is unclear if China plans to buy all the oil outright, or if some will be ultimately redirected to other countries. Some Chinese banks are wary of falling under U.S. sanctions targeting the trade of Russian oil, Bloomberg said.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued an executive order in December 2023 to tighten restrictions on the financial backers of Russia's war, which has decreased the flow of funds to third-party countries.
The threat that even unwitting collaboration could result in sanctions or loss of access to the U.S. financial system has caused foreign banks to be more proactive about avoiding doing any business with Russia, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in February 2024.
Igor Kossov
