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.
The U.S. will provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed on July 7.
"Because we've seen all these reports on the provisions of cluster munitions for Ukraine, I will leave it to the Pentagon to make an official announcement on the next drawdown package, and to go into details of that drawdown package, and the specifics on the type of munitions being provided, but I will use this opportunity to make a few points," Sullivan said.
He also said that "Russia has been using cluster munitions since the start of the war to attack Ukraine."
"Russia has been using munitions with high dud or failure rate of 30-40%," Sullivan added. "In this environment, Ukraine has been requesting munitions in order to defend its own territory. The cluster munition that we would provide has dud rates far below what Russia is doing, not higher than 2.5%."
Sullivan added that this provision will come as part of a larger military aid package for Ukraine, which will be further specified by the Department of Defense.
Cluster bombs carry smaller bomblets that disperse across a wide area upon detonation.
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers asked U.S. President Joe Biden on June 26 to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine.
According to Foreign Policy magazine, DPICMs can be fired by the 155mm artillery systems that the U.S. has already provided to Ukraine and could be very effective at clearing Russian defense lines.
The step could prove controversial due to humanitarian concerns over the use of cluster munitions. The unexploded bomblets may pose a danger to the civilian population in the area long after the hostilities end. More than 100 countries joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, banning their use, production, and stockpiling. The U.S., Russia, and Ukraine are not among the signatories.
The proportion of bomblets that do not explode upon impact is called the "dud rate." According to Sullivan, the munitions provided to Ukraine will not have a dud rate higher than 2.5%, compared to 30-40% of cluster munition that Russia uses in Ukraine.
Sullivan emphasized that the U.S. will cooperate with Ukraine on demining efforts and that Kyiv intends to use cluster munitions to defend its sovereign territory and citizens.
Foreign Policy reported on Jan. 11 that Turkey had already provided Ukraine with cluster munitions, but Ankara denied it. According to international observers, Russia has been extensively using cluster munitions, including against civilian targets.
Abbey Fenbert
