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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Moldovan military unit marches on Kyiv's Independence Square, Ukraine, 24 August 2017, during a parade on the occasion of the Ukrainian Independence Day celebrations. (Photo credit: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The U.S. has delivered military aid to Moldova as part of the modernization process of the Moldovan military, the U.S. Embassy in Moldova and the country's Defense Ministry announced on Aug. 1.
"Today marks the delivery of donated military equipment from the United States to the Moldovan National Army," the embassy said in its statement.
"Over the last 31 years, the United States government via United States European Command provided over $123 million in military assistance, training, and education and over $36 million in humanitarian assistance at the request of the current and previous Moldovan governments."
According to the embassy, the U.S. agreed with Moldova on regular defense aid in 2019 and the latest package is part of these routine deliveries.
The Moldovan Defense Ministry said that the package comes as part of the efforts to modernize the Moldovan military and increase the country's defense capabilities.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine exacerbated worries among the pro-Western government in Chisinau regarding the Russian threat. Moldova's region Transnistria has remained under Russian occupation since the Transnistrian War in 1990-1992.
The country's President Maia Sandu warned in February that Moscow was planning a coup to oust the current leadership. On May 8, Leonid Manakov, who represents Transnistria in Moscow, requested more Russian "peacekeepers" to be deployed in the region due to the "deteriorating security situation."
Moldova has also more recently expelled a number of Russian diplomats and embassy staff in late July shortly after a media investigation revealed that the Russian embassy in Chisinau hosts devices for gathering intelligence.
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.
Martin Fornusek
