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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda meet on Aug. 3, 2023. (Photo: Gitanas Nausėda / Twitter)
President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda announced on Aug. 3 that he met with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to discuss the presence of the Wagner Group in Belarus and the threats it poses.
Nausėda said that Wagner mercenaries in Belarus present an additional security risk for Lithuania, Poland, and NATO allies. Since March 2023, the Wagner Group has been considered a terrorist organization in Lithuania, due to the threat its members pose to the state's security.
Recently, thousands of Wagner troops and heavy equipment have poured into Belarus from Russia, after the group's abortive mutiny against the Kremlin.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that he brokered a deal that meant the fighters would leave Russia. Minsk has claimed that the mercenaries are training the Belarusian military.
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced on July 18 that Poland's border with Belarus will be reinforced with two additional military brigades in response.
Ukraine's National Resistance Center reported on July 27 that the group continues to recruit fighters while based in Belarus, under a new condition that the new recruits are ready to participate in hostilities in neighboring Poland and Lithuania.
The meeting came after the Polish Defense Ministry confirmed late on Aug. 1 that two Belarusian helicopters violated the country's airspace during exercises near the border.
According to Nausėda, the meeting on Aug. 3 took place at the Suwałki Gap, an area southwest of the Lithuanian border with Poland.
The Suwałki Gap is strategically important due to its location sandwiched between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
Morawiecki said on July 29 that over 100 Wagner mercenaries were deployed in the Grodno region of Belarus near the Suwalki Gap, from where they could infiltrate into Poland.
According to the White House on Aug. 2, the U.S. is unaware of any concrete threats posed by the Wagner Group to Poland or other allies but is closely monitoring the situation.
Elsa Court
