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.
Paul Grod, the President of the Ukrainian World Congress, and Andrew Potichnyi, Director of the Unite With Ukraine initiative, met with General Ihor Tansyura, the Commander of the Territorial Defense Forces, on July 18, 2023. (Source: Ukrainian World Congress)
Through its fundraising initiative Unite with Ukraine, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) pledged Hr 117 million ($3.2 million) in aid to the Territorial Defense Forces, the UWC informed on July 18.
"Today, the UWC, within the Unite with Ukraine initiative, has the great honor to announce the provision of another package of military aid for the strengthening of the Armed Forces' Territorial Defense in the amount of (Hr 117 million)," said Paul Grod, the president of the UWC.
According to the announcement, the package will include armored vehicles, first-person view drones, the Strata 22 weapon simulators, and the repair and restoration of four-wheel drive GAZ-66 trucks.
"Worldwide Ukrainians stand side by side with the defenders of Ukraine not only with words but also with actions," Paul Grod commented.
The UWC pointed out that it has worked together with the Territorial Defense Forces since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
The meeting took place during a visit of the UWC delegation to Ukraine. The day before, the leaders of the UWC met with military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, and other officials, according to the organization's media release.
Based in Toronto, Canada, the UWC was founded in 1967 as an association of Ukrainian public organizations in the diaspora. According to its website, it represents 20 million Ukrainians living in the diaspora in over 60 countries.
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.
Anastasiia Malenko
