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.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has called on the countries that could provide Ukraine with aircraft to start training Ukrainian pilots before a political decision on aircraft delivery is made.
Kuleba believes that eventually allies will provide Ukraine with fighter jets, even if it takes more time than the agreement on battle tank supplies.
"We propose to start with training. This is our request to all our friends who can potentially share aircraft with us," he said at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 18.
At the conference, Kuleba had 15 negotiations with allies during 24 hours, including with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Iraq, Brazil, Japan, Sweden, US senators, and others.
"We have agreed on faster delivery of weapons and ammunition, full deployment of the allied defense industry, new sanctions against the Russian Federation, promotion of (Ukraine's) peace formula, and mobilizing support for important UN votes," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reported on Facebook.
The Munich Security Conference, held on Feb. 17-19, brought together multiple Western leaders, including Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pledged continued support for Ukraine at the conference.
Macron similarly called on Europe as a whole to "invest more in defense."
Ukraine has been pleading for fighter jets for months, as Western, Ukrainian, and Russian sources indicate that Russia is preparing for an imminent offensive.
So far, the West has been reluctant to transfer aircraft to Ukraine after greenlighting modern tanks for Ukraine amid fears of escalating tensions with Russia.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the decision to provide Ukraine with Western fighter jets "is not the most urgent issue now," while the US and the UK ruled out sending aircraft to Ukraine any time soon.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 9 that "several" European leaders expressed readiness to provide Ukraine with fighter jets and other necessary weapons without further details.
Meanwhile, Poland has publicly shown readiness to send fighter jets to Ukraine – but it said the delivery needs NATO approval.
Sweden also said on Feb. 15 that it is considering transferring Gripen fighter aircraft after receiving a request from Kyiv.
Critics argue that allies’ reluctance to supply F-16, Typhoon and Dassault fighter jets and long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine will prevent Kyiv from launching a counteroffensive and liberating the rest of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine’s lack of advanced aircraft and missiles will likely prolong Russia’s war of aggression and result in thousands of deaths.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has promised to provide Ukraine with GLSDB missiles but they are expected to arrive in nine months, which may be too late.
