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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
The national flag of Turkmenistan as a participating country at the 12th St. Petersburg International Gas Forum in 2023. (Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Authorities in Turkmenistan are working on repatriating Turkmen students studying in Russia, fearing retaliation over last week’s terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall, RFE/RL reported on March 26.
Russia has charged four men from neighboring Tajikistan over the atrocity that killed 139 people. Three others with Central Asian backgrounds are accused of being accomplices.
Exactly how many Turkmen students currently study at Russian universities is not known but 2022 figures put the number at 30,600.
Sources told RFE/RL that as well as repatriating students, the Turkmen government has also ordered officials to organize meetings with those working and attending educational institutions to warn them about religious radicalism.
Another Central Asian state, Kyrgyzstan, has advised its citizens not to travel to Russia in the wake of the attack.
Despite the alleged perpetrators being Tajik and Islamic State (IS) claiming responsibility for the March 22 attack, the Kremlin has continued to try and pin blame on Ukraine.
Hours after the attack, Putin attempted to connect the attack to Kyiv, claiming that the detained suspects planned to flee to Ukraine.
This theory was dealt a blow by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko on March 26, when he said the suspects initially tried to flee to Belarus.
He claimed Belarus heavily increased security at the border with Russia immediately after the attack and the terrorists "understood that it was impossible to enter Belarus" through Russia's Bryansk Oblast.
After seeing the security at the border, they changed their plans and "turned away and went to the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border," Lukashenko claimed.
Bryansk Oblast borders Homiel and Mahiliou oblasts in Belarus and Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts in Ukraine.
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Nate Ostiller
