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.
From left to right, Yurii Kholod, Chairman of the Lviv Regional Council, businessman Ihor Hrynkevych, and Lviv Oblast Governor Maksym Kozytskyi in an undated photo. (Maksym Kozytskyi/Facebook)
The Kyiv Pechersk District court extended the detention of Lviv businessman Ihor Hrynkevych,who is under investigation for a large-scale corruption scheme, by one month, the Ukrainian news outlet Suspilne reported on Feb. 26.
Hrynkevych will remain in custody until March 29. Tetiana Sapian, communications adviser for the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), confirmed the court's decision to Suspilne.
Hrynkevych was one of the Defense Ministry's biggest suppliers, winning 23 tenders with his companies. He allegedly failed to complete his contracts and supplied the Ukrainian Armed Forces with low-quality military clothing that could not be used.
According to law enforcement, Hrynkevych cost the Defense Ministry Hr 1.2 billion ($31.6 million) in financial damages.
Hrynkevych was arrested on Dec. 30 while allegedly attempting to bribe a top DBR official. He is charged with offering $500,000 to a state employee in exchange for the return of properties that were confiscated during criminal proceedings.
The court seized more of Hrynkevych's property in January. Associates of Hrynkevych, including his son, Roman, have also been arrested in connection with the defense procurement scandal.
According to Sapian, the court made the decision to extend Hrynkevych's custody on Feb. 23. The day prior, Feb. 22, the Kyiv Court of Appeals rejected an appeal from Hrynkevych's lawyer against the restraint measure handed down by the Pechersk court. The measure called for custody with the possibility of bail totaling over Hr 429,000 ($11,168).
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's Defense Ministry has been involved in several corruption scandals. The most notorious led to the dismissal of former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, one regarding inflated prices for food supplies and the other connected to low-quality winter jackets.
Oleg Sukhov
