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.
The Russian Defense Ministry on May 14 admitted that two commanders had been recently killed in the ongoing battle for Bakhmut, the epicenter of the war in Ukraine.
In its daily briefing, the ministry said that Colonel Vyacheslav Makarov, the commander of Russia's 4th Motorized Rifle Brigade, and Colonel Yevgeny Brovko, deputy commander of an unspecified army corps for political work, had been killed in the Bakhmut area.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the two colonels were killed while Russian forces tried to hold on to their positions amid a renewed wave of Ukrainian counterattacks, but it claimed that all attacks were repelled.
More than ten months into the Battle of Bakhmut, both Ukraine and Russia have reportedly suffered heavy casualties as the bloody trench warfare rages on. Most of Bakhmut is currently under Russian control, with Ukraine still holding on to the western flanks of the largely-destroyed city.
While the battlefield situation is increasingly difficult for Ukrainian forces, Ukraine appears to have made some localized advances near Bakhmut this week.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said on May 12 that Ukrainian forces had advanced two kilometers toward Bakhmut "without losing a single position" this week.
Eastern Operational Command spokesman Serhiy Cherevaty also reported a successful operation in the Bakhmut area in recent days, saying on television that Ukraine had conducted counterattacks and there are signs of exhaustion among the Russian forces on the battlefield.
Asami Terajima
