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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
The U.S., Israel and Ukraine are in negotiations on providing Ukraine with up to eight Patriot air defense systems, the Financial Times (FT) reported on June 27, citing five unnamed sources familiar with the talks.
The outlines of the deal, which is not yet finalized, have been discussed between ministers and senior officials of the three nations, FT's sources said. It may include Patriot systems being sent from Israel to the U.S. and then to Ukraine.
The reports came days after Washington announced it had reprioritized near-term planned deliveries of foreign military sales to other countries, particularly Patriot and NASAMS missiles, to go to Ukraine instead.
Kyiv has been calling on its partners to provide additional air defenses as Russia intensifies its strikes against Ukrainian population centers and infrastructure. Ukraine operates at least three Patriot systems provided by the U.S., the Netherlands, and Germany, with Berlin and Bucharest recently pledging to deliver two more systems.
"Ukraine continues to work with various countries around the world on obtaining additional Patriot systems," Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the FT, without confirming the talks.
The transfer of eight other systems could significantly strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities, potentially protecting the country's largest cities while also being used to cover key hotspots on the battlefield.
Israel announced in April that it would start decommissioning eight Patriot batteries that are over 30 years old to replace them with more modern systems. However, the batteries used in the Israel-Hamas war have not yet been deactivated due to fears of escalation, the FT wrote.
Israel has largely avoided taking sides in Russia's war against Ukraine, and has not provided any meaningful military aid to Ukraine. It has a long-standing relationship with Russia, complicated by the significant Russian diaspora in Israel.
Kyiv voiced support for Israel after it came under a deadly attack by the Hamas militant organization in October 2023, while Hamas reportedly used Russia- and Iran-made arms in the war.
Elsa Court
