According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
A Russian policeman stands next to a wall bearing an image of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's Kremlin at a polling station during sham elections organized by the Russian-installed authorities in Russian-occupied Donetsk, Ukraine, on Sept. 8, 2023. (Photo credit: AFP via Getty Images)
The Council of Europe issued a statement on Sept. 10 denouncing the sham "elections" that Russia held in the occupied parts of Ukraine.
"We strongly condemn the illegitimate sham 'elections' that took place on September 8-10 2023 in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation," read the statement.
The statement was signed by the President of the Council's Committee of Ministers and Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, President of the Parliamentary Assembly Tiny Kox, and Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric.
"Held in flagrant violation of international law, they constitute a further illustration of the denial by the Russian Federation of the values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law upheld by the Council of Europe," the statement said.
The Council noted that the sham vote was only the latest in a series of illegal and harmful steps that Moscow has taken since it was expelled from the organization. Moscow withdrew from the Council last year after the international body decided to terminate Russia's membership due to its full-scale war against Ukraine.
As the authors of the declaration stressed, the sham elections should be considered null and void under international law.
Russia held illegal elections in the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts after it announced their "annexation" following a sham referendum in September 2022.
The vote was accompanied by violent incidents, such as a partisan attack against Russian soldiers protecting the polling stations or the destruction of the headquarters of Russia's governing party United Russia.
Western leaders and Kyiv have denounced the vote held on Ukraine's territory as a violation of international law. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented that Ottawa will not recognize the sham elections nor Vladimir Putin's attempt to "redraw the map as he pleases."
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Alexander Khrebet
