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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
The Georgian national flag flying on March 24, 2023, in Tbilisi, Georgia. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
Georgia's largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), will file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court on July 29 over the controversial law on "foreign agents," the party told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Georgian service.
The lawsuit was signed by 32 opposition lawmakers on July 22.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, who has criticized the law as jeopardizing the country's aspirations to join the European Union, filed her complaint against the law with the Constitutional Court on July 15.
Zourabichvili initially vetoed the bill, which requires organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as "foreign agents" and mirrors repressive Russian legislation used to crack down on Kremlin critics.
The Georgian parliament, dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party, bypassed the president's veto on May 28 with 84 lawmakers voting in support.
Starting from August, NGOs and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad based on 2023 data, must register with the authorities within a month as "foreign agents."
The law allows the authorities to monitor such organizations and obtain required information like personal data.
The legislation was heavily criticized by both domestic opposition and the EU. Its reintroduction into the parliament in April led to massive protests, with the police firing at the demonstrators with rubber bullets and water cannons.
Washington and Brussels have denounced the bill as incompatible with Western values, and the EU said Georgia's membership process had been effectively halted as a result.
Sonya Bandouil
