(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Explosions were heard in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast early in the morning of March 28, exiled Mayor Ivan Fedorov reported on Telegram.
"Several explosions are heard at once in all areas of the city," Fedorov wrote, adding that "we are waiting for details from the General Staff (of Ukraine's Armed Forces)."
A collaborator and one of the top proxies installed by Moscow in the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Vladimir Rogov, also reported a Ukrainian strike on the city that allegedly hit a "railway depot."
Later Fedorov posted a video on Telegram and wrote that a "bavovna" (cotton), which refers to the explosions caused by Ukraine's attacks on Russian military infrastructure, such as ammunition depots, could be seen at the site of the railway depot.
He also said that the power had gone out in the northern and western districts of the city, as well as in Semenivka, Tambovka and some other surrounding villages.
Melitopol, the city of some 150,000 people in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, was occupied by Russia in late February, a few days after the all-out invasion began. It is located between Kherson and Mariupol, several kilometers north of the Black Sea coast.
Explosions were also reported a day earlier in the city.
Ukraine war latest: Official says Avdiivka ‘being wiped off the face of the earth’
Key developments on March 28: * Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast “is being wiped off the face of the earth,” official says * Ukrainian military repels 24 Russian attacks in the east * Zelensky travels to Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast, marking the one-year anniversary of its liberation * Portugal delivers L…
Thaisa Semenova
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