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.
Monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, evicted from the Lower Lavra's buildings, take their belongings out of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery on Aug/ 15, 2023 in Kyiv. (Photo by Andriy Zhyhaylo/Obozrevatel/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's Parliament, registered a draft law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on Oct. 5. After collecting the necessary 226 votes, the bill was officially registered for consideration.
The proposed bill states the possibility of banning any religious organizations affiliated with war propaganda or justifying the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The UOC-MP, which is subordinate to church leadership in Moscow, has been accused of aligning with the Russian government during the war.
Last year, Russian Orthodox Church leader, Patriarch Kirill, supported Putin’s invasion, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. “Sacrifice in the course of carrying out your military duty washes away all sins,” Kirill said to his Russian followers fighting in Ukraine.
After a missile attack badly damaged Odesa’s Transfiguration Cathedral in July, the vicar of the Odesa Diocese wrote to the Moscow patriarch Kirill, saying “your bishops and priests consecrate and bless the tanks and rockets that bomb our peaceful cities.”
The Ukrainian government evicted the UOC-MP from the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and has brought charges against church leaders for spreading pro-war propaganda.
54% of Ukrainians believe the UOC-MP should be banned, according to a survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.
Sonya Bandouil is a North American news editor for The Kyiv Independent. She previously worked in the fields of cybersecurity and translating, and she also edited for various journals in NYC.
Sonya has a Master’s degree in Global Affairs from New York University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Houston, in Texas.
