(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.
Despite opposition from the country's president, the Bulgarian government approved on June 26 a new military aid package for Ukraine, the press service of the Council of Ministers announced on its website.
While the contents of the package remain classified, Sofia said it will be "comparable in value to the previous package approved by the interim government on Dec. 22, 2022."
The announcement comes after efforts to renew past aid to Ukraine were delayed by President Rumen Radev, who has consistently opposed providing large-scale military assistance. Radev has been accused of having a pro-Kremlin stance and once referred to Crimea as "Russian" during presidential debates in 2021.
After the parliament's approval on Dec. 9, 2022 for supplying Kyiv with arms, the incumbent interim cabinet provided the first package of military assistance but further aid was reportedly stalled by Radev.
The end of a two-year political deadlock in the country in early June, however, has brought in a new government under Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov that appears to be taking active steps to support Ukraine.
On June 15, Defense Minister Todor Tagarev told Politico that Sofia wishes to join the EU's initiative to supply $2.2 billion worth of artillery shells to Ukraine.
According to media reports, a previous cabinet of then-Prime Minister Kiril Petkov also provided Ukraine with much-needed military aid only days after the Feb. 24 invasion but did so outside the public eye and via third parties to avoid domestic political backlash.
According to opinion polls, large segments of the Bulgarian population take a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and only 16.3% believe that the country should support Ukraine.
Ukraine to receive billions in military aid after Ramstein summit
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on June 15 that the U.S., the U.K., Denmark, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Norway, and Italy pledged new military aid packages to Ukraine at the 13th Ramstein-format summit of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) in Brussels.
Martin Fornusek
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