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.
According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry established a new structural unit, the Logistics Support Planning Department, in an effort to create long-term procurement plans for the military, the Defense Ministry announced on March 26.
According to a press release, the department will develop annual procurement plans for the army to mitigate emergency requests for essentials like food, clothing, fuel, and logistics equipment.
Deputy Defense Minister Vitaliy Polovenko emphasized that this plan could minimize the number of urgent procurement requests made during wartime, which previously affected both the quality and price of acquired products.
"We understand that in wartime, we cannot completely avoid some urgent procurement requests. But we can reduce the number of such cases," Polovenko added.
Specialists will assess market conditions, monitor prices, and estimate costs to meet logistics command requirements, with procurement managed by the State Logistics Operator.
Over the past two years, Ukraine's Defense Ministry faced several corruption scandals involving the procurement of food products at inflated prices.
Similar embezzlement allegations arose after the Defense Ministry procured summer jackets instead of winter ones for inflated prices. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov was forced to resign due to the scandal.
Elsa Court
