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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
French President Emmanuel Macron talks during the press conference with the media at the end of the EU Summit in Brussels on Feb. 1, 2024. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
French President Emmanuel Macron on March 14 again refused to rule out a potential presence of Western troops in Ukraine but stressed that the current situation does not call for it.
"We're not in that situation today," Macron said in a television interview with TF1 and France 2, adding that "all these options are possible."
The French president said during an allied meeting on Feb. 26 that the deployment of Western soldiers on the ground in Ukraine is not ruled out in the future. The remarks sparked a lively discussion among allies, with many NATO members, including Germany and the U.S., emphatically rejecting the possibility.
Other countries, such as Estonia or Czechia, said that the deployment of troops, for example for non-combat tasks, should not be completely ruled out.
"If Russia wins, the life of the French would change. We would no longer have security in Europe. Who can seriously believe that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, who has respected no red lines, would stop there?" Macron said during the interview.
The president called Russia's war against Ukraine "existential" for France and Europe and warned that Moscow's potential victory would "reduce Europe's credibility to zero." He criticized the earlier strategy used by Kyiv's allies, saying it constrained itself with too many red lines.
"Two years ago, we said we would never send tanks. We did. Two years ago, we said we would never send medium-range missiles. We did," the president noted.
The allies must not be weak and show "determination, will, and courage" to prevent Russia's victory, the president noted.
Macron nevertheless stressed that France would not lead an offensive into Ukraine, saying that should the war spread further, the decision would rest solely with Russia.
Kyiv has not appealed to the West to send its troops to Ukraine, instead asking for increased arms supplies to help Ukrainian soldiers fend off Russian aggression.
Speaking with the French broadcaster BFMTV on March 11, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "as long as Ukraine holds, the French army can stay in French territory."
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Elsa Court
