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.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin talks to the media at the seventh gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein air base in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, on March 19, 2024. (Photo by Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)
Ukraine’s survival in the face of Russia’s full-scale invasion is “in danger” which poses a risk to America, the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on March 19.
Speaking at the monthly Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Ramstein, Germany, Austin said he was “fully determined to keep U.S. security assistance and ammunition flowing.”
He added: “And that's a matter of survival and sovereignty for Ukraine and it's a matter of honor and security for America.”
Aid for Ukraine has been stuck in the U.S. Congress since autumn 2023.
The U.S. Senate on Feb. 13 passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill that includes $60 billion for Ukraine, as well as funds for Israel and other allies, but Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to put it to a vote in the House of Representatives.
The Hill previously reported that Johnson suggested providing a Ukraine aid package as a loan or lend-lease program to benefit U.S. taxpayers.
The U.S. State Department criticized the Republicans' idea of providing aid to Ukraine as a loan, saying that it was "an appropriate step" to "saddle Ukraine with billions of dollars of foreign debt" during wartime.
The shortage is also affecting air defenses with the Washington Post this week reporting some systems defending Ukraine’s cities may be nearly used up by the end of March.
Ukraine has tried to shoot down four of every five missiles aimed at its cities, but the shortage in munitions for its defenses may soon force Ukraine to aim for only one of every five, one official told the newspaper.
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.
Chris York
