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.
Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) meets German chancellor candidate of the CDU/CSU alliance Friedrich Merz in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 9, 2024. (Presidential Office)
Germany, France, the U.K., and Poland should set up a contact group to coordinate the European bloc’s approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war, Friedrich Merz, the German conservative opposition leader, said in Kyiv on Dec. 9.
Speaking to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the German politician said that this united vision should be presented to the U.S. leadership. Zelensky voiced his support for the proposal, Ukrinform reported.
The German politician arrived in Ukraine's capital earlier the same day to meet Zelensky and "to learn about the current state of defense in the country."
Merz is the chancellor candidate of Germany’s center-right CDU/CSU alliance for the upcoming snap elections in February 2025. The ruling center-left coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in tatters and unlikely to preserve its seat at the steering wheel.
The politician emphasized that in the upcoming weeks and months, Europe should have a unified approach to the ending of the war in Ukraine without individual peace plans.
His comments come as Western and European countries try to jockey the momentum that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2025 will bring. Trump promised a quick end to the war, and his plan allegedly includes bringing the two sides to the negotiating table and changing the amount of military aid accordingly.
Zelensky responded to Merz’s initiative by saying that "we have already organized" such a group and adding that Denmark, representing the Nordic countries, would also be part of this forum. The first meeting is scheduled for December.
Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary, currently based in Kharkiv, reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets. He holds degrees in political science, philosophy, and development policy.
Martin Fornusek
