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.
A house repaired by volunteers for a family of internally displaced persons in Kherson Oblast on July 8, 2024. Parts of Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast were liberated by Ukrainian troops in fall 2022. (Yurii Tynnyi/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian government is considering options to end Russia's full-scale war that would involve temporarily suspending its goal of restoring Ukraine's full territorial integrity, the German news outlet Der Spiegel reported on Oct. 13, citing an official close to the Ukrainian government.
Over 20% of Ukraine's territory is currently under Russian occupation. A pillar of President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace formula for Ukraine involves the full liberation of all occupied territories, and Kyiv has repeatedly said it is not willing to make territorial concessions to Moscow.
The Kyiv Independent contacted the Presidential Office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
According to Der Spiegel's source, the government is now holding "serious discussions" about relinquishing its aim of full territorial restoration.
"We believed that victory had to mean the unconditional surrender of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's Russia," the source reportedly said.
This was "a mistaken view of victory," the source claimed, saying an agreement to end the war would be impossible without some concessions.
Factors pushing Kyiv to consider territorial concessions include Russia's grinding advance in eastern Ukraine and the uncertain outcome of the U.S. presidential election, according to the official.
"Whether it's (former U.S. President Donald) Trump or (Vice President Kamala) Harris, the Americans will slowly but surely withdraw," the official told Der Spiegel.
Trump has criticized U.S. aid to Ukraine, calling Zelensky a "salesman" and pledging to get the U.S. "out" of the conflict if re-elected. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump ally, recently told the press he has no "appetite for further Ukraine funding."
Harris, by contrast, has taken sharp aim at proposals to end the war that involve Ukraine giving up large portions of its sovereign territory.
"These proposals are the same as those of Putin, and let us be clear, these are not proposals for peace," Harris said on Sept. 26.
"Instead, they are proposals for surrender, which is dangerous and unacceptable."
Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Presidential Office, said on Sept. 17 that none of the plans Ukraine is developing to end Russia's war envisages a ceasefire or ceding territory to Moscow, despite some media reports.
Russian troops partially control Ukraine'sDonetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Moscow claims to have annexed the entire territory of those regions despite not controlling two regional capitals — Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces also occupy Ukraine's Crimean peninsula.
Polling from July of this year shows that 55% of Ukrainians oppose territorial concessions to Russia in exchange for peace. The number is lower than that recorded in previous surveys: Polls in February and December 2023 found that 65% and 74%,respectively, opposed such concessions.
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.
Oleg Sukhov
