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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky gives his annual speech to the Ukrainian parliament, or Verkhovna Rada, on Nov. 1, 2021. (president.gov.ua)
President Volodymyr Zelensky on Dec. 1 appointed 28 judges nominated by the High Council of Justice, the judiciary’s highest governing body.
The appointments formally seek to resolve the problem of a shortage of judges. However, anti-corruption and legal watchdogs have lambasted the move because most of the judges have problematic backgrounds.
The President’s Office and the High Council of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.
Out of those appointed, 21 do not have a right to be judges under the law because the Public Integrity Council has concluded that they do not meet ethics and integrity standards, according to legal think-tank DEJURE. The Public Integrity Council is the judiciary’s state-sanctioned civic watchdog.
According to the watchdog, two of these judges, Petro Zaruba and Andriy Klyuchnyk, unlawfully tried protesters during the 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, which ousted pro-Kremlin ex-President Viktor Yanukovych. Zaruba and Klyuchnyk did not respond to requests for comment.
On Nov. 18, the High Council of Justice, the judiciary’s main governing body, nominated 135 candidates to be appointed by the president. Ninety-one of them do not meet integrity standards, according to the Public Integrity Council.
On Nov. 25, civil society organizations urged Zelensky not to appoint judges who do not meet ethical standards. They include DEJURE, the Anti-Corruption Action Center, AutoMaidan and others.
The High Council of Justice has been criticized by Ukrainian and Western legal experts for appointing tainted judges. Zelensky signed a law letting foreign experts take part in firing discredited council members.
Oleg Sukhov is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He is a former editor and reporter at the Moscow Times. He has a master's degree in history from the Moscow State University. He moved to Ukraine in 2014 due to the crackdown on independent media in Russia and covered war, corruption, reforms and law enforcement for the Kyiv Post.
