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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
The 108th Brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces train in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Oct. 18, 2023. (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The previous version of this news item incorrectly alleged that Ukraine's Customs Service reported that "aid didn't reach the military." It was later corrected to indicate that the Customs Service's report implied that "aid" was a label fraudulently used by some importers to skip customs fees.
Ukraine's State Customs Service reported discovering 3,000 cases of alleged customs violations connected with humanitarian and military aid.
The agency reported checking 9,000 instances of importing goods that were labeled as "humanitarian aid" during the first nine months of 2023, where the individuals or organizations importing it declared that it is meant for specific military units. Such goods are free of customs fees.
In some 3,000 of such cases, the Customs Service said, the designated military units couldn't confirm that they had received the said goods – meaning that the goods were likely mislabelled to avoid customs fees.
The report doesn't imply that the aid in question was coming from any foreign government, nor that any actual aid was stolen. It doesn't clarify whether the importers alleged of mislabelling the goods were Ukrainian or foreign.
The checks were conducted by Ukraine's Customs Service's Anti-Smuggling and Customs Rules Violations Department together with the Defense Ministry.
On March 1, 2022, days after Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine and humanitarian aid poured into the country, the government issued a decree allowing the import of certain goods tax-free.
In December 2022, the list of goods that can be imported as humanitarian aid tax-free was amended.
In Ukraine, the "humanitarian aid" label used at customs includes the goods meant for the army, such as protective equipment or cars.
According to the State Customs Service, some importers allegedly used these provisions for tax evasion purposes. After the checks, the customs authorities submitted 387 reports of potential illegal activities to the law enforcement.
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Oleksiy Sorokin
