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.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a news conference at the United Nations headquarters on April 25, 2023, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Armenia of “distorting history” in an attempt to “break off” relations with Moscow, he said in an interview on March 28.
Traditionally aligned with Russia in its regional conflict against Azerbaijan, Armenia has experienced heightened tensions with Russia after the country’s "peacekeepers" didn’t prevent Azerbaijan's September 2023 offensive into Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In an interview with the Moscow daily Izvestia, Lavrov said the current situation “does not inspire optimism.”
“Frankly, the Armenian leadership, under far-fetched pretexts, distorting the history of the last three or three and a half years, is deliberately leading things to the break off of relations with the Russian Federation,” Lavrov said.
Earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Armenia for the first time during his 10 years in office to discuss the situation in the South Caucasus, an event Lavrov said was an attempt by the alliance to meddle in the region.
“The goal of those who are trying to tempt the Armenian leadership to side with the West is simple – to disrupt stability in the South Caucasus and to turn it into a zone of Western domination,” he said.
“The West is doing the same in Central Asia and many other regions of our shared continent.”
The West however, has only been responding to signals from Armenia itself.
In recent months, the country has further sought to distance itself from Russia - repeatedly accusing Moscow of being an unreliable partner.
Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan revealed earlier in March that the country is considering applying for membership in the European Union, aiming to strengthen ties with the West.In January 2024, Armenia joined the International Criminal Court, becoming one of 124 countries obliged to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he visits the country. The Kremlin decried the move as an "unfriendly step" and "the wrong decision."
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Francis Farrell
