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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) attends a remote meeting with then-acting Kursk Oblast Governor Alexey Smirnov via video call in Moscow, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
A Moscow court sent former Kursk Oblast Governor Alexei Smirnov to a two-month pre-trial detention center on April 16 in connection with a fraud case, the press service of Moscow courts reported.
Smirnov and his deputy Alexei Dedov are accused of embezzling over a billion rubles ($12 million) from the budget allocated to the Kursk Oblast Development Corporation for the construction of fortifications on the border with Ukraine.
Smirnov served as governor of Kursk Oblast from May to December 2024, during which Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into the oblast in August 2024 and managed to occupy part of the region until March of this year.
The former governor pleaded not guilty, Russian state media TASS reported, citing sources in law enforcement agencies.
According to Russia's Interior Ministry, Smirnov and Dedov led a criminal group and acted together with the management of the Kursk Oblast Development Corporation to embezzle funds meant for fortifications.
Earlier, law enforcement agencies also detained three corporation executives and the heads of unnamed companies that received payments but did not complete the contracted works.
Following Smirnov's resignation as governor in December 2024, Alexander Khinshtein became the acting governor of Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine initially seized 1,300 square kilometers (500 square miles) of Russian territory before Moscow, reinforced by North Korean units, launched a counteroffensive in March.
The Russian push coincided with a temporary pause in U.S. intelligence and military support for Ukraine, which resumed on March 11.
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.
Asami Terajima
