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 soldiers of the Aidar battalion at their artillery position in Donetsk oblast, on April 4, 2023. (Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Russian troops have not experienced ammunition deficits in Ukraine's east despite Wagner Group's statements about the lack of projectiles on the front line, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Eastern Military Command, said on April 5.
"We have repeatedly said that there was no shell deficit where the enemy is concentrating its efforts… these are the Bakhmut, Kupiansk, and Lyman areas," Cherevatyi said on national television, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda news outlet. "Unfortunately, the enemy still has considerable power to hit our positions."
The Lyman area in Donetsk Oblast is "the leader" in terms of damage by Russian artillery, the Ukrainian military official added.
According to Cherevatyi, Russia shelled the key Ukrainian city of Bakhmut 245 times over the past 24 hours. Twenty-one clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces reportedly occurred in the area, killing 88 Russian soldiers and injuring 124.
ThreeRussian drones, one electronic warfare station, and three ammunition warehouses were destroyed, said Cherevatyi.
The U.K. Defense Ministry reported on March 14 that the Russian artillery ammunition deficit had led to "extremely" tight ammunition restrictions in many areas of Ukraine's front line.
In February, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia's Wagner mercenary group, criticized Russia's Defense Ministry for not providing his troops with enough ammunition.
Prigozhin has intensified his rivalry with the Russian Defense Ministry over the past several months. According to the Institute for the Study of War, he is trying to establish his mercenary group as an independent elite force in his quest for power in Russia.
The Ukrainian officials repeatedly claimed a critical shortage of ammunition that limited the country's progress on the battlefield.
On average, Ukraine is firing 110,000 155 mm shells a month, a quarter of the amount used by Russia, according to Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
