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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Russian soldiers patrol a street on April 11, 2022, in Volnovakha, Donetsk Oblast. (Alexander Nemenov /AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian information warfare has driven 17,000 Russian soldiers off the battlefield, U.S. Army Special Operations Commander Jonathan Braga said, as reported by Business Insider on Nov. 1.
The general said that savvy Ukrainian messaging has convinced thousands of Russian fighters to desert their posts.
"Messaging has played a huge role just in the tactical and operational sense," Braga said at the Association of the US Army's annual conference, held Oct. 9-11.
"We've supported our Ukrainian partners there. You've had 17,000 Russians desert. That's 17,000 soldiers you didn't have to blow up on the battlefield or destroy."
Ukraine has leveraged low morale among Russian troops into successful media campaigns that help increase the desertion rate.
Taking advantage of social media, Ukraine can gather information on enemy equipment and personnel and use it in information operations to target specific units.
Kyiv has been actively encouraging troops of the Russian invading army to desert or even defect to the Ukrainian side.
The Ukrainian military intelligence service launched a hotline in September 2022 to help Russian soldiers willing to surrender.
It marked a 70% increase in traffic in August after a Russian helicopter pilot defected to the Ukrainian side with a fully intact Mi-8 helicopter and subsequently received the hryvnia equivalent of $500,000 (approximately Hr 18.48 million).
Despite reports of low morale among Russian troops, namely in the bloodiest hot spots like Avdiivka, experts point outthat this manifests mainly in poor cooperation between and within units rather than in seriously unhinging Russian defensive lines.
Francis Farrell
