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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin and the children who returned to Ukraine after being abducted by Russia pose for a photo on the outskirts of Kherson on April 10, 2023. (Oleksandr Prokudin via Telegram)
Twenty-four Ukrainian children from Kherson Oblast who had been illegally deported by Russia returned home on April 10, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.
The rescue mission was organized by the NGO Save Ukraine, which “made incredible efforts so that the young residents of the region could finally see and hug their relatives,” wrote Prokudin.
According to the NGO volunteers, Russian forces interrogated the children “for 13 hours” during the mission and later forced them to participate in a propaganda report.
The city of Kherson and other settlements in the region on the Dnipro River's west bank were liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022 after eight months of Russian occupation.
Over 19,000 children were abducted by Russia, according to a Ukrainian national database, while thousands remain not accounted for. Ukraine has so far managed to return over 350 Ukrainian children deported by Russia, and the process is ongoing.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
In previous interviews, children described being used as political props at rallies and difficult conditions in the places they were being kept.
Save Ukraine has helped people fleeing war zones since 2014. Over the past year, it launched a program to return taken children back to Ukraine. Over the past year, the NGO said it rescued 95 children.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
