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.
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.
Chinese President Xi Jinping heads to a group photo session with other leaders at the Third Belt and Road Forum on Oct. 18, 2023, in Beijing, China. (Suo Takekuma-Pool/Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping supported on May 6 the idea of a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, Le Monde reported.
Xi arrived in France a day earlier as part of his European tour, marking his first visit to the EU in five years.
The Chinese leader's visit comes at a strenuous time, as Beijing and the European countries are increasingly at odds over China's support for Russia during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
French President Emmanuel Macron previously voiced hope for China's support of the Olympic truce, a longstanding tradition allowing the safe passage of athletes to and from the Olympics.
Macron welcomed the willingness of his Chinese counterpart to "appeal to all concerned parties to establish an Olympic truce during our upcoming Games," according to Le Monde.
"Together, we believe that this initiative can be an opportunity to work towards a long-term solution in full compliance with international law," the French president said.
Macron also thanked Xi for Beijing's promise to "refrain from selling any weapons to Moscow," the media outlet reported.
China has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war, tightening economic cooperation and disrupting Western attempts at isolating Russia.
The U.S. warned its allies in April that China is increasing its support for Russia through geospatial intelligence, missile propellants, and microelectronics.
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After meeting with Macron and Xi on May 6, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that "more effort is needed to curtail the delivery of dual-use goods to Russia that find their way to the battlefield."
"We count on China to use all its influence on Russia to end Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," she said.
Beijing supports the convening of a peace conference "recognized by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties and fair discussion of all peace plans," Xi said, according to Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.
Ukraine's peace summit will be held on June 15-16 in Switzerland, and 160 national delegations will be invited to the talks.
Russia, the aggressor in the ongoing war, will not be invited "at this stage," the Swiss government said. China has been invited to take part in talks on Ukraine's 10-point peace formula and said it was considering its participation.
The formula envisages withdrawing all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, release of all prisoners of war and deportees, preventing ecocide in Ukraine, and punishing those responsible for war crimes.
Rachel Amran
