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.
A young boy is waving an Iranian flag next to the Iranian-made Zolfaghar missile on display at Azadi (Freedom) Square in western Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 11, 2024. (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Iran on Sept. 9 denied it had delivered ballistic missiles to Russia, calling reports to the contrary "psychological warfare."
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sept. 6 that Tehran had sent an unspecified number of the weapons.
The report prompted "alarm" from the White House, and a warning from Ukraine that the move would have "devastating consequences for Ukrainian-Iranian bilateral relations."
"No missile was sent to Russia, and this claim is a kind of psychological warfare," Iranian brigadier and senior Revolutionary Guards' commander Fazlollah Nozari told Iranian media.
In Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave an evasive answer when asked about the reports on Sept. 9.
"Iran is our important partner, we are developing our trade and economic relations, we are developing our cooperation and dialogue in all possible areas, including the most sensitive ones," he said in comments reported by Reuters.
The British news outlet The Times wrote that according to an undisclosed Ukrainian military source, a shipment of 200 Iranian ballistic missiles already arrived at an unspecified port in the Caspian Sea on Sept. 4.
The missiles in question were said to be Fath-360, with a range of 120 kilometers (over 70 miles).
"It's more likely they'd be used on targets related to action on the front line, military targets, logistics centers, command posts, barracks, fuel depots – these are the kind of targets you'd strike with a tactical missile," Fabian Hinz, a research fellow for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told the Kyiv Independent.
Washington has not officially confirmed that the transfer had taken place, but the Wall Street Journal said that the U.S. had informed its allies about the move in the past few days.
Russia has its own ballistic missile arsenal that it employs in Ukraine, such as Kinzhal or Iskander-M missiles. Moscow has also received ballistic missiles from North Korea, which have been used to target Ukrainian cities.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Chris York
