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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
There are "powerful concentrations" of Russian troops near occupied Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, city mayor Ivan Fedorov said on Ukrainian national television on April 24.
According to Fedorov, one of the concentrations of Russian troops is in Kyrylivka, an urban type settlement located south of Melitopol on the coast of the Azov Sea, "where the enemy has seized a huge number of recreation centers, hotels, etc."
Russian forces are allegedly using this position to ship military cargo and heavy weapons. There is also a smaller Russian military base in the nearby village of Prymorskyi Posad, Fedorov said.
Fedorov went on to say that the Russians are preparing to forcibly relocate civlians from the occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and that "in Enerhodar, they are aiming to collect all the data about our children by the end of the week, and starting from May 5, they will announce the evacuation of children and take them somewhere in mainland Russia, or at least to temporarily occupied Crimea."
Enerhodar Mayor Dmytro Orlov said on April 11 that Russian occupying forces had ramped up mine placement around the city. The city is home to Europe's largest nuclear power plant which now serves as a military base where Russian forces launch attacks against Ukrainian-controlled territory across the Dnipro River.
Ukraine's planned counteroffensive will allegedly focus on several areas, with speculations that Zaporizhzhia Oblast is among them.
Alexander Query
