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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 29, 2024. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin received a Zoom call from an unknown person claiming to be former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Sept. 26, citing a letter from the Senate security service and its undisclosed sources.
The senator's office received an email from a person posing as Kuleba on Sept. 19 requesting to contact him via a Zoom call. During the video call, the person looked and spoke like Ukraine's former foreign minister.
The senator became suspicious when the person posing as Kuleba began to behave atypically, asking "politically charged questions in relation to the upcoming election" and demanding opinions on sensitive foreign policy issues such as the launch of long-range missiles into Russian territory, the media outlet wrote.
The senator ended the conversation and informed the State Department, which confirmed that the person introducing himself as Kuleba was an impostor who had used "deepfake" technology.
Deepfake video technology uses artificial intelligence to create videos with fictional people who look and sound like real ones. This technology has also been used to impersonate public figures, such as in 2022, when a video that purported to show President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing Ukraine's surrender in the war with Russia was circulated on social media. The video was later debunked.
While the Senate security email did not specify that Cardin was involved, two Senate officials familiar with the matter confirmed it to the NYT.
Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also confirmed in a statement on Sept. 25 that "the malign actor" had fraudulently attempted to communicate with him by posing as a "known individual." Cardin did not specify that the "known individual" was Kuleba.
It was not clear at first who had organized the operation against Cardin, the NYT said.
Intelligence officials have warned that foreign actors such as Russia, Iran, and China are using artificial intelligence, including "deepfakes," to bolster their election interference efforts, with Russia generating the most content, the NYT reported, citing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
The presidential election will be held on Nov. 5, 2024. Democratic candidate and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will face Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Andrea Januta
