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.
A Zara store window, on March 5, 2022, in Madrid, Spain.(A. Perez Meca/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry announced on March 8 that Spanish Inditex, a multinational clothing company, is preparing to reopen its stores in Ukraine following the two-year closure amid Russia's full-scale invasion.
The statement came after the Financial Times’s reports about the plans of Zara, Bershka, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Uterque, Oysho, and Massimo Dutti brands owner to resume work of some stores in Kyiv as soon as early April.
The Ukrainian ministry did not reveal specific dates for the reopening.
According to FT, Inditex said that it was planning to reopen 50 of its 84 stores in Ukraine, while the stores in the country’s south and east close to the war’s front lines would remain shut.
“The return of large international companies to the Ukrainian market creates new workplaces, provides them with access to quality goods and services, and supports Ukraine's economy,” the ministry's statement read.
The Foreign Ministry said it continued to work to restore international business in Ukraine and bring in new companies in order to “deepen the country’s integration into the global economy.”
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in October 2023 that bringing back major brands to Ukraine that closed up shop following Russia’s all-out war has been “one of the goals of Ukrainian diplomacy” and “one of the most anticipated decisions for Ukrainians.”
Other major retailers that have re-opened since the start of the full-scale invasion include McDonald’s, Danish jeweler Pandora, and French cosmetics firm Yves Rocher, among others.
H&M reopened shops in Ukraine in November 2023. The Swedish fashion retailer first opened in Kyiv in August 2018 and closed due to the full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Robin Brooks
