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.
Russian Admiral Aleksandr Moiseev. (Russian Defense Ministry)
Admiral Aleksandr Moiseev was appointed as an acting commander of the Russian Navy on March 19, according to Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti.
Russian media circulated in early March that Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, who had held the position since 2019, had been replaced. The reason for the reshuffle is unknown.
Kremlin-controlled media published a video purporting to show the ceremony in the Russian port city of Kronstadt where Moiseev, previously the commander of Russia's North Fleet, was presented with the title.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not comment on the reported replacement, and Yevmenov is still listed on the Defense Ministry's website.
The news came amid reports that around 30% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet had been destroyed as of December 2023.
Ukraine has repeatedly struck Russia's Black Sea Fleet since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, including the sinking of the flagship cruiser Moskva in April 2022 and a devastating missile attack on the fleet's headquarters in occupied Crimea that reportedly killed more than 30 officers.
In a recent development, Sergey Kotov, a Russian Black Sea Fleet patrol ship, was hit and destroyed in an overnight attack orchestrated by Ukraine's military intelligence agency on March 5.
Dinara Khalilova
