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.
The aftermath of the Russian Dec. 29 nationwide missile attack on Zaporizhzhia. (Yurii Malashko/Telegram)
Russia's Dec. 29 nationwide missile attack killed four people and injured at least 10 in Zaporizhzhia, Governor Yurii Malashko reported.
Overnight, Russia launched a mass drone and missile attack, targeting multiple Ukrainian regions.
In Zaporizhzhia, several industrial facilities were targeted. One missile struck an “open area,” while another destroyed a private house, according to Malashko. One woman was killed, he said.
"The explosive blast and debris damaged multi-story buildings in one of the districts of the regional center," he wrote on Telegram, adding that people might be under the rubble of one of the damaged buildings.
The aftermath of the Russian Dec. 29 nationwide missile attack on Zaporizhzhia. (Yurii Malashko/Telegram)
Air defense forces downed one missile near Zaporizhzhia, Malashko said.
Apart from Zaporizhzhia, civilian casualties were also reported in Kyiv, Dnipro, Lviv, Odesa and Kharkiv. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia launched around 110 missiles to attack Ukraine on Dec. 29.
Daria Shulzhenko is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been a lifestyle reporter at the Kyiv Post until November 2021. She graduated from Kyiv International University with a bachelor’s in linguistics, specializing in translation from English and German languages. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and researcher.
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