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.
Ukrainian soldiers train on a Leopard battle tank in May, 2023. (Photo by Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, claimed on July 30 that Russia would have to use nuclear weapons if Ukraine liberates occupied territories.
"If we imagine that the NATO-backed Ukrainian Banderites' offensive is successful and they seize part of our territory, we would have to use nuclear weapons, based on the presidential decree issued on June 2, 2020," Medvedev, who is also a former president of Russia, said in a reference to the potential liberation of Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia. "We won't have any other choice."
On Sept. 30 last year, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would annex Ukraine's four oblasts – Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson – after sham referendums in the occupied parts of these regions took place.
Medvedev also congratulated his country with Navy Day, mentioning Russia's Poseidon nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle. The underwater drone is believed to be capable of carrying a 100-megaton nuclear warhead.
Medvedev, a close ally of Putin, used to be seen as a more liberal representative of the Kremlin but has become one of Russia's most prominent hawks during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He regularly threatens Ukraine and NATO with a nuclear attack. However, he has become an object of ridicule since his numerous threats have failed to materialize.
In January, Medvedev said a potential defeat of Russia in war against Ukraine "may trigger a nuclear war," adding that "nuclear powers have never lost major conflicts on which their fate depends."
In May he said that, by sending weapons and training Ukrainian soldiers, NATO "increases the likelihood of a direct and open conflict between NATO and Russia."
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