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.
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.
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.
A view of military ammunition during the training of Ukrainian soldiers at the firing range as the war in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Feb. 3, 2024. (Ignacio Marin/Anadolu via Getty Images)
France and the Netherlands back Czechia's plan to procure hundreds of thousands of ammunition rounds for Ukraine from outside the EU, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told journalists on Feb. 26.
Kyiv is facing critical ammunition shortages, as $61 billion in funding from the U.S. remains stuck in Congress, causing defense aid deliveries to run dry. Reports suggest Ukraine could face a catastrophic shortage of supplies like shells and air defenses within weeks.
Ukraine's decision to withdrawfrom the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 17 was widely linked to the issue of a lack of ammunition.
Earlier in February, Czechia began to push a plan to jointly finance the purchase of 450,000 artillery shells outside the EU.
Czech President Petr Pavel said on Feb. 17 that Prague has identified around 800,000 artillery shells abroad that could be sent to Ukraine within weeks if provided funding from other partners.
The plan to use EU money to buy ammunition produced outside the bloc was initially blocked by France, which wants to boost its domestic defense industry, along with Greece and Cyprus.
Macron told reporters at the summit on Ukraine he had convened in Paris on Feb. 26 that France is "totally open" to the plan.
"The Czech proposal is totally consistent with what we've done in terms of artillery. We have asked non-EU countries to reach solutions. We will participate in this initiative."
"Our only target is efficiency," Macron said.
The Netherlands will provide 100 million euros ($108.5 million) in aid to help buy the ammunition, Rutte told journalists at the summit.
Rutte refused to specify which non-EU countries have been identified as potential ammunition suppliers.
"We know that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is preparing for a long war," Rutte posted on X.
"We must continue to show that we stand firm and that time is not on his side," Rutte said, and referred to the security agreement the Netherlands plans to sign with Ukraine.
According to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, France and the Netherlands are among 15 European countries that have so far signaled support for the plan.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
