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.
Kyiv City Council deputy Vladyslav Trubitsyn. (Photo: Vladyslav Trubitsyn/Facebook)
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) confirmed that it helped the Kyiv City Council deputy Vladyslav Trubitsyn, who is suspected of taking bribes, to leave the country, the investigative project Schemes reported on May 31.
HUR’s spokesperson Andrii Yusov explained that military intelligence assisted the deputy from President Volodymyr Zelensky's party Servant of the People at the request of another security or military structure, which he refused to further identify.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies accused Trubitsyn of taking a bribe of Hr 1.39 million ($38,000). The deputy has failed to appear in court.
Schemes reported that on May 13, the deputy left Ukraine for Poland using a letter from the HUR’s head Kyrylo Budanov.
The letter, dated Jan. 27, 2023, appealed to the head of the State Border Guard Service Serhii Deineko to help Trubitsyn and four other people to cross the border, claiming they are going on a business trip abroad.
After Trubitsyn failed to appear in court for the second time, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPU) requested on May 30 to add Trubitsyn to the international wanted list.
HUR’s spokesperson emphasized that at the time of the crossing, there were no such restrictions placed on Trubitsyn.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
