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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
The Moldovan Parliament building in the capital Chisinau on July 22, 2022. (Giovanni Mereghetti/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Authorities in Moldova blocked access to 22 Russian media sites, saying they were being used as part of an "information war" against the country, according to a decree published by Moldova's Security and Information Service on Oct. 24.
The decree said that the sites distributed content from a "state in military conflict and recognized as the aggressor state," clearly implied to be Russia.
The sites listed, all of which were Russian in origin, included popular state-run or controlled outlets like RT, NTV, Ren TV, and others.
Moldova previously banned the re-broadcast of Russian television news in June 2022, followed by suspending the licenses of a number of Russian-language stations operating in Moldova that were accused of spreading misinformation about the war in Ukraine.
Russia has long sought to pressure Moldova, but increased both its rhetoric and aggressive actions towards the country after the election of pro-Western President Maia Sandu in 2020.
Relations between the two countries further deteriorated after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sandu said in an interview with the Financial Times in May 2023 that she thought Moldova would have been next if Russia had succeeded with its original plan to take Ukraine in three days.
“I don’t believe they would have stopped at the border,” Sandu said. “We are only safe today thanks to Ukraine.”
Sandu also alleged that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late Wagner Group founder, attempted to foment a coup against her government in February 2023, but the plot was prevented.
Anna Myroniuk
