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.
Petr Fiala, Czech Republic's prime minister (R), greets Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister, as he arrives for a meeting in Prague, Czechia, on Feb. 27, 2024. (Milan Jaros/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on March 6 accused Prague of "endangering" Czech-Slovak relations by "supporting the war in Ukraine" while Bratislava "talks about peace."
Fico made the statement in reaction to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala's decision to postpone consultations between the two countries that were planned for April. Fiala justified this by "different opinions on key foreign policy issues."
"We acknowledge that the Czech government decided to endanger (our relations) because it wants to support the war in Ukraine, while the Slovak government openly talks about peace," Fico said in a video published on his official Facebook page.
Initially supporting Ukraine on military and political levels, Slovakia's foreign policy took a sharp turn after populist leader Fico won the parliamentary elections last September while running on a Ukraine-skeptic platform.
Under Fico's leadership, Bratislava's foreign policy took a more amicable position toward Russia, mirroring the stances of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban while growing further apart from other partners like Czechia.
"Our partners on the other side of the world understand that Europe's security affects the security of the whole world, which is why I'm sorry that our Slovak colleagues don't share this perspective," Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky said.
Prague namely criticized a meeting of Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Antalya, Turkey, earlier in March.
Czechia and Slovakia have traditionally been close partners, maintaining warm relations since the peaceful split of their common state of Czechoslovakia in 1993.
The two countries have carried out regular bilateral consultations since 2012, with the last one taking place in April 2023, months before Fico's government took office.
The Slovak prime minister has repeatedly criticized military aid for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia while making statements parroting pro-Kremlin talking points.
Slovakia has, however, not obstructed the 50-billion-euro financing package for Ukraine or Kyiv's EU accession efforts as Hungary did. Despite his vocal opposition to military aid for Ukraine, Fico allowed arms supplies for the besieged country on a commercial basis.
In comparison, Czechia maintains its pro-Ukraine policy and is currently spearheading an allied initiative to supply Ukraine with 800,000 artillery shells from abroad since Kyiv faces critical ammunition shortages.
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.
Martin Fornusek
