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.
Ukrainian border guards patrol on the closed checkpoint of Slavutych on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border in Chernihiv Oblast on July 14, 2023. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia maintains a force of 19,000 soldiers on the borders with Ukraine's Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts, the spokesperson of Ukraine's northern forces, Yurii Povkh, said on Jan. 8.
Russian forces invaded the two northern oblasts at the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022 but were pushed back behind the borders in April of that year.
"This number has not changed for several months, so there is no need to discuss signs of the enemy forming any strike groups," Povkh said on television.
The spokesperson added that a contingent of this size could be used to secure the border but not to break through Ukrainian lines.
While not under the threat of a major offensive, the two regions regularly experience cross-border raids by Russian sabotage groups and shelling.
"Currently, we can say that the enemy is carrying out its harassing fire to a greater extent," Povkh said.
Ukrainian forces are maintaining control over the northern border and preventing the crossing of Russian sabotage groups, the spokesperson added.
In the first two weeks of December, Russian forces attempted to cross the border into the Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts seven times, Lieutenant General Serhii Naiev said. Five of these attempts were caught in the act by Ukrainian troops, he added.
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.
Alexander Khrebet
