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.
On Nov. 19, Vasyl Burba, ex-head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, said that Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak told him he was acting on presidential orders when he delayed an operation to capture 33 Kremlin-backed Wagner group mercenaries. Burba made the statement soon after the Bellingcat investigative project reported that Yermak had delayed the operation.
Yermak’s adviser Mykhailo Podoliak earlier denied the allegations in the Bellingcat report in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda, saying that the president's chief of staff has no authority over military intelligence. Before, both Yermak and Zelensky denied that the Ukrainian intelligence operation ever took place.
The initial intelligence operation was meant to lure the mercenaries to Belarus with a fake job offer, then intercept their plane on the way from Minsk to Istanbul on July 25, 2020. After the operation was delayed, Belarusian authorities arrested the mercenaries on July 29, 2020 and later deported them back to Russia.
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