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.
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.
A photo of Russian propagandist and military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky posted on his personal Telegram account, which has over 560,000 followers. (Telegram)
Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee accused the Ukrainian special services of plotting an explosion that killed high-profile Russian propagandist and "war correspondent" Vladlen Tatarsky, Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti reported on April 3.
According to the committee, "the terrorist attack" involved "agents" cooperating with the Anti-Corruption Foundation established by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
One of them allegedly was Daria Trepova, detained by Russian authorities on suspicion of executing the explosion by handing over a trophy that later blew up to Tatarsky.
The director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, Ivan Zhdanov, denied his organization's involvement in the April 2 explosion in St. Petersburg that killed the Kremlin propagandist.
"They have been trying to accuse us of terrorism for a long time," Zhdanov said, adding that everything indicates the explosion was organized by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).
"They have been doing this since 2014: They poison and kill each other happily, they divide the markets. It's just that not all cases are public," he added.
President Volodymyr Zelensky also commented on Tatarsky's murder at a press conference during his April 3 visit to Chernihiv Oblast, according to Ukrinform news outlet.
"I'm not thinking about what's happening in St. Petersburg or Moscow. Russia should be thinking about that. I'm thinking about our country."
The explosion that killed Tatarsky occurred on April 2 in a cafe that reportedly once belonged to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the notorious Russian private military organization Wagner Group.
A video posted to Telegram showed a detonation going off on the first floor of a large building in St. Petersburg, where Tatarsky was reportedly hosting an event for followers of his coverage of the war.
Tatarsky, who was born Maksim Fomin in the now-occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine, was one of the most well-known "independent" propaganda correspondents, consistently agitating for the further conquering of Ukrainian territory.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
