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.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto, attends the 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Russia on June 15, 2023. (Photo by Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Hungary "still needs guarantees," that the Hungarian OTP bank will not be reinstated to Ukraine's international sponsors of war list, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Oct. 4.
The temporary suspension of the bank from the list on Sept. 29 represents a "step in the right direction," Szijjarto said at a press conference in Budapest.
Ukraine's National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) provisionally removed the bank, along with five Greek shipping companies, in the hope that this would "lead to Hungary’s unblocking of €500 million of vital EU military aid for the Ukrainian people, and will also eliminate the possibility of Greece blocking the future EU sanctions package" against Russia.
The international sponsor of war list is designed to be "a powerful reputational tool," to encourage the exit of international business from Russia, the NACP explains on its website.
However, the decision to "temporarily suspend" the inclusion of OTP Bank and the shipping companies was made following negotiations between the NACP, national governments, and representatives of the companies, according to the agency.
Szijjarto said that the temporary removal of the bank from the list demonstrates that it was included for "unfounded, false and ridiculous" reasons in the first place, Ukrainska Pravda reported.
The Russian division of OTP Bank is still on a Ukrainian sanctions list, along with four of the bank's managers, the Foreign Minister claimed.
"We expect that these four managers of OTP Bank and the Russian unit will be removed from the list," Szijjarto said.
OTP Bank will be fully removed from the list once it has fulfilled the conditions agreed upon with regarding cooperation with Russia, the NACP said.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Elsa Court
