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.
The flag of the Republic of Moldova (l) hangs next to the flag of the European Union on Oct. 22, 2023 in Chisinau, Moldova. (Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Members of Moldova's pro-Russian opposition parties met in Moscow on April 21 to establish a new anti-European political bloc aimed at derailing Moldova's planned accession to the European Union, Bloomberg reported.
The newly-established bloc, dubbed "Victory," met with Moldovan politician and oligarch Ilan Shorto strategize a challenge to President Maia Sandu and her pro-European government in upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.
Shor is currently evading arrest in Moscow on charges of money laundering and embezzlement in relation to the alleged 2014 theft of $1 billion from Moldovan banks - in which Shor allegedly masterminded a scam affecting the country's banking system. Shor faces up to 15 years in prison.
Andrei Spinu, Moldova's minister of infrastructure and regional development, railed against the newly-formed bloc's attempts to influence the upcoming Oct. 20 presidential election.
“A whole country saw the traitors of the country in Moscow,” Spinu said. “They were created in Moscow, near the Kremlin, to make it clear who they work for and who they serve.”
Tensions between Moscow and Chisinau have been mounting since February 2022 amid fears that the war may spill into Moldova via Transnistria, a Moldovan territory occupied by Russian troops since the early 1990s.
Moldovan officials have previously warned of Russia's attempts to influence Moldovan election, and have repeatedly accused Russia of destabilization attempts.
Alexandru Musteata, the head of the Moldovan intelligence agency (SIS), has warned that SIS possesses "certain information" about Russia's destabilization campaign in the next two years designed to compromise Chisinau's European integration and draw the country back into the Kremlin's orbit.
The SIS chief also warned about Russia manufacturing "socio-political crises" and "social clashes" to "incite inter-ethnic hatred" in relation to Transnistria and the autonomous region of Gagauzia. The pro-Russian opposition parties have also been accused by officials of being a source of anti-EU disinformation.
Current President Maia Sandu will run for re-election after she put the country on a decisively pro-EU course, helping to secure Chisinau's membership candidacy and accession talks. Alongside the presidential election, a referendum is set to be voted on as the country's leadership attempts to usher through pro-EU constitutional amendments.
Moldova's parliamentary elections are also scheduled to be held in the summer of 2025.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Elsa Court
