The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky attends the closing press conference during the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Lucerne, Switzerland on June 16, 2024. The Swiss government reported that 90 countries and international organizations had registered for the summit, although Russia, which launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, was not invited. (Sedat Suna/Getty Images)
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople added its signature to the joint communique of the global pace summit for Ukraine, while Rwanda's signature has disappeared as of June 17, according to the Swiss government website.
Counting the latest changes, 77 countries and five organizations have supported the document drafted during a two-day summit in Switzerland.
The communique called to return the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under full control of Ukraine, ensure uninterrupted manufacturing and supply of food products in Ukraine, secure full access to sea ports in the Black and Azov Seas, release all prisoners of war, and return all deported Ukrainian children, among other things.
The document also declared any threat or use of nuclear weapons in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine inadmissible and attacks on ships and civilian ports unacceptable.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 101 countries and organizations gathered for the summit, meaning that not all participants supported the communique. Eighty countries signed the document at first, but Jordan's and Iraq's signatures were later removed.
Russia was not invited to attend, while China rejected the invitation.
Brazil, present as an observer in the list of 92 confirmed participant countries shared by the Swiss Foreign Ministry on June 14, has also not signed the communique.
Liliane Bivings
