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.
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 European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Feb. 24, 2024. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Feb. 29 calling on EU member states to support Ukraine with "whatever is needed for Kyiv to win its war against Russia," including long-range weapons.
Ukraine's calls on Berlin to provide much-needed long-range Taurus missiles were recently rejected again, reportedly due to fears the move will draw Germany into the war.
The resolution was approved by 451 votes in favor and 46 against, with 49 abstentions, according to the parliament's press service.
Members of the European Parliament (MEP) said that the main goal is for Ukraine to win the war, adding that "serious consequences" await if that does not happen as other authoritarian regimes would "assess their own leeway for exerting aggressive foreign policies."
To ensure Kyiv’s victory, the EU should have "no self-imposed restriction on military assistance to Ukraine," MEPs said, urging European countries to provide Ukraine with air-defense systems, long-range missiles such as Taurus and Storm Shadow/SCALP, various types of artillery and ammunition (155 mm in particular) and drones and weapons.
"All EU and NATO allies should support Ukraine militarily with no less than 0.25% of their GDP annually, say MEPs, who also urge EU countries to immediately enter into dialogue with defense companies in order to ensure increased production and deliveries of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine, which should be prioritized over orders from other third countries," reads the press release.
The European Parliament also called on the U.S. Congress to immediately approve $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, which remains stalled for months.
The resolution underlined the urgency to develop a legal framework to confiscate state-owned Russian assets frozen in the EU and transfer them to Ukraine.
"Russia must be obliged to pay reparations imposed on it to ensure that it contributes substantially to rebuilding Ukraine."
The European Parliament also called on member states to extend their sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including "banning Russian uranium and metallurgical imports to the EU, terminating nuclear cooperation with Russia, and imposing a full embargo on EU imports of Russian agricultural and fishery products as well as fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas transported by sea through pipelines."
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Francis Farrell
