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.
Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, 740 air raid sirens have sounded in Kyiv, the Defense Ministry reported on May 12.
According to the Defense Ministry, the air raid sirens combined lasted 851 hours and 38 minutes, or over 35 days.
For many Kyiv residents, those 851 hours and 38 minutes were spent hiding in bomb shelters or windowless corridors, sometimes to the sound of explosions.
However, "not a single missile or drone has reached its target" in Kyiv over the past two months thanks to the work of air defense, the Defense Ministry wrote.
Russia repeatedly attempted to attack Ukraine's capital city in the days leading up to May 9, a major holiday in Russia that marks the Soviet Union's victory over Nazism during World War II.
On May 6, Ukraine's Air Force publicly admitted that a Russian Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missile had been shot down over Kyiv Oblast for the first time since the start of the war using Patriot air defense systems.
Illia Ponomarenko
