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.
Ukrainian electronic duo Artbat will perform at the U.S. music and art festival Coachella in April 2022. (Artbat/Facebook)
Ukrainian electronic duo Artbat will perform at one of the world’s biggest and most influential music festivals, Coachella.
The festival announced its lineup on Jan. 12. It shows that the Kyiv-based duo of Artur Kryvenko and Vitaliy Limarenko will perform on Fridays during the dual-weekend event, alongside world-known musicians such as Ye (Kanye West), Billie Eilish, and Harry Styles.
“Happy to be part of this iconic event for the first time,” Artbat wrote on Facebook.
Artbat appear to be the first Ukrainian group ever invited to perform at Coachella. But this is not the first time that Artbat has gotten international recognition.
The duo has been among the most successful Ukrainian electronic acts ever since its foundation in 2015, attracting millions of views on YouTube with their live music sets and topping various international charts.
They performed at one of the biggest electronic music festivals, Tomorrowland, in Belgium in 2020 and were included in the annual rankings of the world’s best DJs by the U.K. DJ Magazine, also known as DJ Mag, twice: in 2020 and 2021.
At Coachella, Artbat is expected to perform on April 15 and 22.
One of the U.S. biggest and most popular festivals, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, or simply Coachella, is an annual music and arts festival held at the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert, California, since 1999.
This year, Coachella is returning after a two-year pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be held on April 15-17 and 22-24.
The lineup also includes Phoebe Bridgers, Big Sean, The Avalanches, Jamie xx, Flume, Doja Cat, Lil Baby, Swedish House Mafia, Stromae, and many more. Although tickets for the first weekend are already sold out, there is still an option of being put on the waiting list for tickets that have been returned.
Daria Shulzhenko is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been a lifestyle reporter at the Kyiv Post until November 2021. She graduated from Kyiv International University with a bachelor’s in linguistics, specializing in translation from English and German languages. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and researcher.
