(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.
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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.
The Russian military is targeting Ukraine's ports in order to escalate tensions around the Black Sea Grain Initiative and exact concessions from the West, the Institute for the Study of War wrote in its July 20 report.
Russian missiles struck the port city of Odesa for three consecutive days following Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, an agreement that allows Ukraine to continue exporting critical grain supplies during wartime. Ukrainian officials reported that the ports under attack contain over one million tons of food.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed on July 19 that he would rejoin the grain deal under certain conditions, including the removal of economic sanctions and Russia's return to the SWIFT banking system.
The Russian Defense Ministry also announced on July 19 that it would consider any ships in Ukrainian ports to be military targets.
Moscow has punctuated its threats with missile strikes. The repeated attacks on Ukraine's port and grain infrastructure demonstrate Putin's willingness to use global food security as a bargaining chip.
"Prolonged disruptions to grain logistics in Ukraine will likely have increasingly cascading effects on grain supplies, adding to the sense of urgency that the Kremlin hopes to create," the ISW report said.
New US sanctions target Russian mining corporations, suppliers helping Russia evade restrictions
The U.S. government announced a new sweeping set of sanctions on July 20, which aims to target Russia’s war effort. Russian officials and industries, individuals linked to Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, and Kyrgyz companies have been sanctioned.
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