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.
Demonstrators block the Georgian parliament building entrance amid efforts by riot police to disperse the crowd using tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets on May 1, 2024, in Tbilisi, Georgia. (Nicolo Vincenzo Malvestuto/Getty Images)
Georgian police again attacked protesters gathered by the parliament building in Tbilisi on the evening of May 1, injuring at least eight, authorities reported. The injuries were severe enough to require the hospitalization of the eight individuals, one of whom has already been discharged.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered again the day after Georgian police violently attempted to disperse a demonstration in opposition to the controversial "foreign agents" law the ruling Georgian Dream party is attempting to pass.
Undeterred by the previous night's violence, protesters urged the parliament to abandon the law, which was ultimately approved by lawmakers in its second reading. It will require one more reading to be fully passed by the parliament.
Police escalated their violence toward the demonstrators, employing tear gas, water cannons, other chemical substances, and rubber bullets. Posts widely circulated on social media showed a protester who had been shot in the eye, likely with a rubber bullet, and another who was hit in the torso.
Health authorities also said that dozens of protesters were treated on the spot, most of whom had "headaches and burning eyes" resulting from the usage of tear gas.
Despite evidence from protesters of spent rubber bullet rounds, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze claimed that police did not use rubber bullets even though they had the "full legal basis" to do so. Darakhvelidze also said, without providing evidence, that protesters had used tear gas of an "unknown origin," which is not available for purchase.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended the use of force and placed the blame on the protesters, saying in a speech that "violence begets violence."
Kobakhidze said that "violent youth groups" were responsible for instigating the unrest, singling out Tbilisi Pride, Students for European Future, and a group the prime minister appeared to mistakenly refer to as "Genzi" (Gen Z), among others.
Human rights groups again denounced the police crackdown of the past two nights, saying in a joint statement that the "physical force used (against the protesters) was tantamount to torture."
The sentiment was echoed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who wrote on X that she was "following the situation in Georgia with great concern and condemn the violence on the streets of Tbilisi."
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Nate Ostiller
