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 Aroyat bulk carrier ship registered in Palau, sails towards the Ukrainian Black sea port of Chornomorsk on Sept. 16, 2023. (STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukrainian farmers exported 93% of their products through the ports in and around Odesa and on the Danube in the period since August 2023, Ukraine's Infrastructure Ministry reported on Feb. 23.
More than 30 million metric tonnes of agricultural products have been exported through these ports since August 2023, when Ukraine set up a new shipping corridor after Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea grain deal.
The corridor was initially opened to allow the exit of vessels that had been docked at Ukraine's Black Sea ports since February 2022.
Since then, it has become a route for exporting Ukrainian goods such as grain and metal, despite the ongoing Russian attacks and threats such as sea mines.
In the seven months since Ukraine opened the corridor, 854 vessels sailed to 42 countries and exported 26 million metric tonnes of cargo, of which more than 18 million metric tonnes were Ukrainian agricultural products, according to Infrastructure Ministry statistics.
"In December, 6.8 million tons were exported by sea, in January it was 6.7 million tons. Although February is the shortest month of the year, we still hope to keep the export figure no lower than in previous months, " Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
"Taking into account the situation with the blocking of our exports on the western border, we are preparing to increase agricultural exports through the Danube bypassing the border with Poland," Kubrakov said.
Polish farmers launched a new wave of protests on the border in early February in response to Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's Green Deal.
Kubrakov was referring to the protests at the Polish-Ukrainian border that again erupted earlier in February as Polish farmers criticized the import of Ukrainian agricultural products and the EU's Green Deal.
The situation escalated on Feb. 20, when some protesters dumped Ukrainian grain on railway tracks and displayed anti-Ukrainian posters.
Protesters again dumped agricultural products from a Ukrainian train at a border crossing with Poland on Feb. 23, Ukrainian Railways reported.
Ukrainian Railways said that the dumped product was oilseed headed to Germany.
Nate Ostiller
