(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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ISW: Prigozhin's heightened profile fuels intensified attacks on Russian military
• 2 min read
In the wake of Russia's capture of Bakhmut, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious figure associated with the Wagner Group, appears to be leveraging his increased visibility to launch aggressive assaults on the Russian military establishment and elites, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update.
Prigozhin's recent interview with Russian political strategist Konstantin Dolgov on May 23 shed light on his dissatisfaction with the Russian military leadership, accusing them of failing to achieve the primary objectives of the war in Ukraine.
Singling out his customary targets, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, Prigozhin held them responsible for obstructing support and supplies to Wagner within the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Prigozhin went further to criticize Shoigu's son-in-law and daughter, labeling them as "representative examples of the privileged offspring of the Russian elite," whose lives starkly contrast with those who are fighting on the Ukrainian front lines.
Raising a warning flag, Prigozhin cautioned that the actions of the Russian elite could lead to a situation reminiscent of the 1917 revolution, where soldiers and their loved ones stood up against the government. Veiled in his rhetoric, Prigozhin ominously hinted at potential violence from the Russian public towards the elite, making references to mobs armed with pitchforks and alluding to the infamous St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre—an orchestrated series of politically motivated mob assassinations in France during 1572.
The ISW notes that these recent statements by Prigozhin mark "an inflection in his longstanding feuds with the Russian military establishment and select elite figures."
Russia’s Kinzhal missile is not hypersonic. Nor is it invincible
When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russia’s Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as an invincible,
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