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.
A Southwind Airlines Boeing 737-8 MAX leaving Frankfurt airport on June 3, 2023. (Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The EU has banned the Turkish airline Southwind from flying in its airspace due to evidence of the company's links to Russia, Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet reported on March 30.
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the EU and other countries banned Russian airlines or Russian-owned airplanes from using EU airspace, as well as prohibited the export of aviation-related technology.
Southwind Airlines was founded in April 2022 in Turkey and operates flights to a dozen destinations in Russia and Belarus, as well as Moldova, Lebanon, and North Macedonia.
Southwind planned to start flights between Antalya and Helsinki, but on March 25 was denied landing rights by the Finnish transport authority due to evidence the airline is controlled by Russia.
"Our overall assessment shows that the stated Turkish individuals or companies do not hold the substantial ownership and effective control of Southwind Airlines," said Jarkko Saarimäki, director general of the Finnish transport authority.
"We have concluded that the airline and its control are linked to Russian stakeholders," Saarimäki said.
In response to Finland's decision, Brussels banned Southwind from taking off, landing in the EU, or flying above EU airspace, Cumhuriyet reported.
As well as Helsinki, Southwind Airlines is now banned from operating flights to the German cities of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, and Stuttgart.
The airline is also unable to launch a planned route to Zurich because of the ban on flying above EU airspace, Cumhuriyet said.
The U.S., U.K., and Canada have similar bans on Russian airlines in place.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Dominic Culverwell
