(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
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Head of IAEA plans to visit Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant next week
• 2 min read
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi will conduct a second visit to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southeastern Ukraine next week, the UN watchdog's press service said on March 25.
Grossi said that the nuclear safety situation at the plant, occupied by Russian troops since early March, was "still precarious," and he was due to conduct a check-up to observe the developments since his first visit in September last year. Talking to the IAEA staff on-site undergoing "unprecedented and very difficult circumstances" is also part of the mission, he added.
"The nuclear safety and security dangers are all too obvious, as is the necessity to act now to prevent an accident with potential radiological consequences to the health and the environment for people in Ukraine and beyond," he said in the press release.
"I remain determined to continue doing everything in my power to help reduce the risk of a nuclear accident during the tragic war in Ukraine."
Grossi's anticipated visit comes half a year after the UN-led mission first arrived at the Moscow-held plant in the town of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast to observe the situation.
Ukraine, the UN, and Western countries have been calling for a safety buffer zone around the Zaporizizhia plant to avoid a nuclear accident as Ukraine continued to report Russian shelling on its territory.
The Ukrainian authorities have reported that the local staff is held at gunpoint, and Russian troops were using it as a military base, storing weapons and equipment there.
After the first inspection of the IAEA, Grossi in September called on Russian military personnel to leave the Zaporizhzhia plant's territory, saying that its “physical integrity” had been "violated several times." He confirmed that Russian military equipment, including army vehicles, was placed on the premises of the plant.
Grossi said that part of his planned trip to the occupied plant is to improve the rotation of the IAEA staff after a nearly month-long delay in the previous rotation.
The six-reactor nuclear plant is the biggest in Europe.
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