(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
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Bloomberg: Putin to skip G-20 summit to avoid potential confrontation with world leaders.
• 1 min read
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will not attend the next Group of 20 summit in Indonesia as the Kremlin aims to protect him from possible high-level tensions over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources.
This decision will allow Putin to avoid potential conflicts with U.S. President Joe Biden, who previously called him “a war criminal,” and some European leaders.
Russia plans to send Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the summit instead, according to one of Bloomberg’s sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky was also invited to the G20 largest economies summit, which will take place in Bali on Nov. 15-16.
On Nov. 3, he said he wouldn’t participate in the event if Putin attended, but in five days, president’s spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov told the Suspilne media outlet that Zelensky might join the summit in the online format.
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