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.
Russian troops are conducting offensives in the areas of Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Shakhtarsk, and Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported in its evening update on Feb. 21.
On the same day, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said on national TV that the Russian military was not succeeding with a "major offensive" in the east.
"The phrase 'great'... has faded. The 'great offensive' they planned has lasted for 8-10 days, but the enemy has no success," Danilov said. "Today, there are five areas on which they are attempting to attack, but our fighters, representatives of the entire security and defense sector, are courageously defending our state."
The General Staff also wrote that Ukraine's Air Force had carried out four strikes on Russian temporary military bases over the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Russian forces targeted multiple settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts over the same period, according to the report.
In particular, Russia launched 30 attacks on Kherson's civilian infrastructure using multiple launch rocket systems. At least six people were killed and 12 injured in the Russian shelling of civilian areas of Kherson on Feb. 21, according to the Southern Operational Command.
The U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Feb. 20 that "regardless of the reality on the ground," Russian forces would likely claim the capture of Bakhmut around the anniversary of the full-scale invasion.
According to the General Staff, "despite significant losses," Russia doesn't give up its intention to occupy the entire Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
