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.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he would try to persuade partners within the European Union, especially France, to purchase rounds of ammunition outside the EU to deliver it to Ukraine.
In a March 25 interview with Polish radio station RMF FM, Morawiecki also said that the Polish Armaments Group would make “efforts to multiply production as soon as possible.”
Russian forces use some million rounds of munition a month, Morawiecki said, so production for Ukraine's own supply must be boosted.
On March 20, EU foreign and defense ministers approved an initiative to provide 1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine jointly.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said at a meeting with EU defense ministers in Stockholm on March 8 that one of the main priorities for Ukraine was more than a million rounds of ammunition. He added that one of the components of Ukraine's “armored fist” would propel its upcoming counteroffensive against Russia.
Reuters reported on March 17 that the agreement would cover 155mm NATO-standard artillery shells.
The EU has committed $1.07 billion for the supply of shells, and possibly missiles, allocated from the $7.5 billion European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget funding mechanism for EU actions with military and defense implications.
Poland and other close EU allies of Ukraine aim for the EPF to be topped up by another $3.77 billion.
