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.
A view of the border crossing from Estonia into Russia over the Narva River on May 27, 2022. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Estonia started to regularly close the Narva-1 border crossing with Russia between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. local time, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on May 1.
The schedule of the Narva-1 border crossing will likely remain the same until the restoration of the vehicle checkpoint, which was temporarily closed due to the construction of theborder crossing point in the Russian town of Ivangorod, according to ERR.
Russia closed the border crossing between Ivangorod in Leningrad Oblast and the Estonian city of Narva to vehicles on Feb. 1, claiming reconstruction works are being carried out. The completion is expected by the end of 2025.
The Estonian Police and Border Guard (PBGB) said that its Russian counterparts were notified about the updated schedule.
Marek Liiva, the head of the Narva-1 crossing, noted that if someone remains on the bridge over the Narva River towards the crossing checkpoint after 11 p.m., the Border Guard will still check and let them through.
All the bus operators transporting to Saint Petersburg have canceled night trips and added new ones during the daytime. Several buses arriving at once during the daytime create large queues at the border, according to ERR.
The Estonian government considered closing all the border crossing points with Russia the previous winter due to increased migration pressures. The Estonian authorities have been observing an influx of migrants and asylum seekers from Russia over the past few months.
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.
Elsa Court
