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.
Members of the public hold Moldovan national flags at the president's headquarters in Chisinau for a rally celebrating the EU's decision to open accession talks with Moldova, Dec. 17, 2023. (Elena Covalenco / AFP via Getty Images)
The Kremlin prepares to destabilize Moldova, likely as a part of the efforts to hinder its EU integration, among other objectives, the U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Jan. 28 assessment.
Tensions between Moldova and Russia escalated following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the pro-Western government of Moldova repeatedly accusing the Kremlin of destabilization attempts.
Alexei Polishchuk, the director of the Second Department of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry, claimed in an interview on Jan. 28 for the Russian state-run media outlet TASS that Moldova began to "destroy its ties" with the Russian-led CIS organization, as the rumors about Moldova leaving the CIS by the end of 2024 are circulating.
The CIS was established following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, and it currently groups nine former Soviet republics. Moldova has not formally left the CIS but effectively suspended its participation in the organization in 2022.
Polishchuk alleged that leaving the CIS would not benefit citizens or the Moldovan economy. He also mentioned that the settlement of the Transnistria issue in Moldova is in a "deep crisis," and Russia could fix deteriorating relations between Moldova and Transnistria as a "mediator and guarantor" in this issue.
Transnistria is a breakaway region internationally recognized as part of Moldova. Russian troops have occupied Transnistria since the early 1990s when Russia invaded the region under the pretext of protecting ethnic Russians.
Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian announced on national radio on Jan. 28 that Moldova would not return to the 5+2 Transnistria negotiating process that included Russia as the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues.
Speaking at a press conference on Jan. 29, Serebrian said Chisinau is determined to resolve the Transnistria issue "exclusively" through peaceful means.
"This position is supported by our colleagues in Kyiv. There are no plans for military or other kind of pressure on Transnistria," the official said.
According to the ISW, Russia could make similar claims to Moldova as to Ukraine, referring to Russia’s accusations of Ukraine’s "abandoning" the Minsk Agreements, used as part of justifications for the full-scale invasion.
In a previous assessment, the ISW determined that Russia is slowly shaping the information space aimed at destabilizing Moldova and justifying any future campaigns by framing Russia as a protector of "threatened Russian language speakers" in Moldova.
This approach is almost identical to the narratives constructed by Russia to justify the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In January, Russian-state media continued to embolden pro-Russian separatists in Moldova, possibly in an attempt to sow political instability and division, the ISW reported.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Nate Ostiller
