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.
G7 leaders meet in Hirosima, Japan. (Photo credit: Pool/Getty Images)
The leaders of G7 countries on May 19 agreed to tighten sanctions against Russia and expand financial aid to Ukraine at the summit in Hiroshima, Japan, as declared in their joint statement.
However, the joint statement provided little information about their next steps.
The Russian full-scale war against Ukraine is to be a key topic of the summit as President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to attend it in person over the weekend.
The new sanctions target Russia’s ability to support its war efforts, aiming at industrial machinery and technology sectors.
Other measures aim to cut Moscow’s profit from diamond and metals export. Such a step was announced earlier today by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The G7 members have previously slapped a number of sanctions against Russia following its aggression against Ukraine.
This included freezing Russian foreign assets, restricting access to the SWIFT banking system, and limiting oil imports from Russia.
Moscow seeks to evade these sanctions, using various third-party countries and entities.
To that effect, another crucial point of the new package is limiting Russia’s ability to circumvent sanctions.
The US has already announced its own set of measures against sanctions evasion.
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz attempted to temper Washington’s steps, calling for a more “pragmatic” approach.
During the first quarter of 2023, Germany’s exports to Russia's neighbors rose sharply, sparking fears that German goods reach Russia through intermediary countries.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
