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 a Russian strike against Avdiivka on Jan. 3, 2024. (Governor Vadym Filashkin/Telegram)
Russian forces dropped 250 aerial bombs on the city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast in just the first two weeks of the year, Governor Vadim Filashkin told Radio Svoboda on Jan. 15.
In comparison, the city was hit by 146 air strikes during the entire year of 2023, Filashkin said.
Avdiivka lies around 10 kilometers north of the regional center of Donetsk, which has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Russia began to intensify its attacks against Avdiivka in early October 2023.
The city remains a primary direction of Russian attacks in the area, Commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi told the BBC on Dec. 27. Ukrainian forces have continued to defend the largely destroyed city and prevented Russia from securing significant gains.
Russian forces likely want to avoid entering the city and engaging in the type of brutal street combat that was seen in the battle for Bakhmut, Tarnavskyi said.
According to Filashkin, 1,131 civilians remain in Avdiivka. An estimated 31,000 people lived in the city before the outbreak of the full-scale invasion in 2022, and just 2,000 remained as of March 2023.
Over the past day, one person was injured, and 71 people, including nine children, were evacuated from the front-line city, Filashkin reported.
Elsa Court
