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.
Photo for illustrative purposes: China's President Xi Jinping is welcomed by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) during the opening ceremony of "The Year of Chinese Tourism in Russia" in Moscow, on March 22, 2013. (Photo by Sergei Ilnitsky/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Senior Chinese military officials separately met U.S. and Russian naval counterparts at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said during a press briefing on April 25.
The 19th Western Pacific Naval Symposium began on April 22, gathering over 180 navy representatives from 29 countries. The topic of this year's biennial meeting is "Oceans with a Shared Future." This is the second time China has hosted the event since 2014.
Wu told the media that China's naval commander Hu Zhongming and political commissar Yuan Huazhi "exchanged views" with U.S. Pacific Fleet Chief Stephen Koehler and Russia's naval commander Alexander Moiseyev.
The spokesperson said that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA) is "ready to work with all the countries" on the path of building a maritime community "with a shared future."
During the symposium, Hu and Yuan also held meetings with naval counterparts from France, Chile, and Cambodia, as well as with officials from Australia, the U.K., India, and Japan in light of rising tension in the region.
Wu also said that Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun held a call with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on April 16, which happened for the first time in more than a year.
The parties discussed China-U.S. state-to-state and military-to-military relations, the Taiwan question, and the South China Sea issue, among other issues of common interest.
"This call is an important step by the two militaries in implementing the consensus reached by the two heads of state and bears positive significance in maintaining the overall stability of bilateral military ties," Wu said during the briefing.
China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, but Washington has continued to sound the alarm on Beijing's support of Moscow's defense-industrial expansion efforts.
Beijing previously reacted to the criticism of its partnership with Moscow, claiming that both countries have a right to carry out "normal cooperation."
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Nate Ostiller
