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.
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko in Moscow in May, 2023. (Photo via Getty Images)
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko attempted to assert his domestic authority while upholding Kremlin narratives in his recent press conference, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in their Aug. 25 report.
On Aug. 25, Lukashenko commented on the reported death of Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin in a press conference.
"Lukashenko endorsed the Kremlin narrative line that Putin had absolutely nothing to do with Prigozhin’s 'accident,'" the ISW wrote.
However, Lukashenko also claimed that he had warned Prigozhin that continuing to push his June rebellion would lead to his death.
On Aug. 25, Lukashenko refuted claims that Wagner mercenaries were departing Belarus following reports of Prigozhin's death on Aug. 23. He insisted that Wagner would not only maintain its presence in Belarus, but expand rapidly in the coming days.
In June, Lukashenko claimed credit for brokering a deal between Prigozhin and the Kremlin to end the Wagner Group's march on Moscow. Following this, Wagner troops moved to Belarus, establishing formal ties with the Belarusian Defense Ministry.
The ISW said that Lukashenko's claims about Wagner point to his "desire to maintain the appearance of being a sovereign leader," rather than a Kremlin puppet.
Lukashenko may fear that Prigozhin's alleged death will signal to Belarusians "the Kremlin’s unilateral cancellation of agreements that he had made with Wagner," the ISW wrote.
In his attempts to portray himself as both a Russian ally and strong power broker in his own right, Lukashenko's claims at times contradicted earlier statements. He said that security guarantees for Prigozhin were never part of Wagner's deal with Belarus, despite claiming otherwise in a June 27 press conference.
"Security guarantees...were provided," Lukashenko said at the time.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Maria Yeryoma
