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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova sits with newly-elected Prime Minister Robert Fico during a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Oct. 2, 2023. (Vladimir Simicek / AFP via Getty Images)
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said his government will not prevent arms sales from Slovak companies to Ukraine, the Slovak news outlet Dennik N reported on Nov. 6.
This implies that Bratislava's decision to halt arms supplies would concern only the weaponry from the Slovak military's current stocks, not newly produced arms provided on a commercial basis.
"If some company wants to produce arms and export them somewhere, nobody is going to prevent that, of course," Fico said after meeting Defense Minister Robert Kalinak, the prime minister's colleague from the ruling left-populist SMER (Direction) party.
Fico, whose party won Slovakia's parliamentary elections running on Ukraine-skeptic platform, said earlier that his country would halt military supplies to its besieged eastern neighbor.
When asked by a foreign journalist in Brussels on Oct. 27 whether Fico would uphold his promise to cease arms supplies to Ukraine, the prime minister clarified that "when it comes to weapons from the Slovak military stocks, the government will not continue in this policy."
Notably, Fico did not make a distinction between supplies from Slovakia's current arsenal and commercial arms sales during his electoral campaign, the Slovak outlet SME reported.
SME also pointed out that the Slovak state-owned company Konstrukta Defence has a standing contract signed under the previous government last year to deliver 16 Zuzana 2 self-propelled guns to Ukraine.
Breaching this contract while it is already being carried out could threaten the firm's reputation and cause defense industry layoffs, the outlet noted.
Speaking to journalists, Fico also said that Slovakia would continue supporting Ukraine on a humanitarian level, for example, in demining, medical assistance, or civilian reconstruction efforts.
Under the previous governments, Slovakia has provided Ukraine with extensive humanitarian and military support, including artillery, fighter jets, and other support.
However, experts point out that Bratislava has largely provided Ukraine with what it could from its standing military arsenal, implying that the flow of supplies would soon cease regardless of Fico's decision.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Peter Tkacenko
