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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
A court blocked real estate worth almost Hr 500 million ($13.4 million) of Oleg Tsaryov, a former Ukrainian lawmaker who defected to Russia and is suspected of financially contributing to Russian aggression, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Feb. 2.
Tsaryov is a Dnipro-born businessman and former lawmaker for the former pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych's Party of the Regions. He went on to serve as an official of Russia's illegitimate proxies in Ukraine's Donbas region.
The blocked property includes an apartment in the central part of Dnipro and a plot of land in Kyiv Oblast. The court's order also included two property complexes in occupied Crimea: the "Kirova" sanatorium and the "Estate of Princess Bariatynska" museum, where Tsaryov resides.
Blocking Tsaryev's assets will prevent the former lawmaker from re-registering his property in order to avoid further confiscation, the SBU noted.
According to the investigation, Tsaryev continues to pay taxes from his Crimean sanatorium to occupation authorities, thus contributing to Russia's budget amid the full-scale war.
The SBU said that the politician also signed a contract with the Russian National Guard for the installation and maintenance of "technical means of protection" in his Crimean facilities.
Tsaryov faces charges of financing an aggressor state and treason.
"Since the perpetrator is hiding from justice in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, comprehensive measures are underway to bring him to justice for crimes against Ukraine," the SBU said.
After defecting to Russia, Tsaryov has been stripped of his seat in Ukraine's parliament in June 2014. He was then declared wanted by the Ukrainian police.
In October 2023, Tsaryov was shot and seriously wounded in Crimea. Ukrainian media claimed that Ukrainian intelligence services were behind the attack.
Abbey Fenbert
