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.
In a recent phone call, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to back calls for peace talks through a unilateral ceasefire and a "vision for a fair solution" to the war in Ukraine, according to a statement from the Turkish president's office published on Jan. 5.
"President Erdogan said calls for peace and negotiations should be supported by a unilateral ceasefire and a vision for a fair solution," the conversation readout said.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Erdogan that Ukraine had to take into account the "new territorial reality". Russia currently occupies approximately 15% of Ukrainian territory.
Erdogan and Putin have had several conversations about Russia's war in Ukraine, with Turkey collaborating with the United Nations to strike a deal enabling grain exports from Ukrainian ports since August.
During the phone call, Erdogan also reminded Putin about the success of the grain deal.
In mid-December, the two leaders discussed the Black Sea Grain Initiative. After that call, the Kremlin said that Putin talked about some "obstacles" to food exports from Russia, which have to be "eliminated."
In July, the United Nations and Turkey brokered a deal to unblock the ports for grain exports.
In late December, Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu reported that 585 cargo ships with more than 15 million tons of agricultural products had left Ukraine through the UN-backed "grain corridor" since August.
