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 view of the Zmiiv thermal power plant in Kharkiv Oblast. (Zmiiv thermal power plant of Centrenergo/Facebook)
Russian troops destroyed the Zmiiv thermal power plant in Kharkiv Oblast during a recent large-scale attack, the state-owned energy company Centrenergo reported on March 29.
Russia has intensified its missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying a thermal power plant and all the electrical substations in Kharkiv, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
The attack destroyed all its units and damaged supporting equipment, according to the report.
"The level of destruction varies, from complete to significant. The enterprise is currently clearing the rubble and has no access to most of the equipment," Centrenergo said.
It is unknown how much time and money it will take to rebuild. Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said during his visit to the site. He said it may be recovered at the expense of a donor energy support fund.
As of March 25, about 200,000 households in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-biggest city, were left without electricity, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
A hourly blackout schedule has been introduced in the region until March 31 following recent Russian attacks against energy infrastructure.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Kateryna Hodunova
