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.
Ukrainska Pravda quoted anonymous ex-employees of the Dom TV channel saying that their editors instructed them to include positive mentions of President Volodymyr Zelensky in their news coverage. The journalists also said they were told to avoid mentioning ex-President Petro Poroshenko, Zelensky’s opponent.
The Dom TV channel was launched in 2020 to provide news and combat Kremlin propaganda in the Russian-occupied Donbas and Crimea. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Zelensky’s office may push to expand the channel's reach throughout the country to use it as a political tool.
Zelensky's spokesman Serhiy Nikiforov told The Kyiv Independent that the President's Office does not know anything about alleged censorship at Dom.
In October, two hosts of the public broadcaster UA Pershyi accused Zelensky’s office of pressuring them by making demands on whom to include and exclude from their political talk show. If the demands weren’t met, the office allegedly wouldn’t allow representatives of the government or Zelensky’s party to participate in the show. Pryamyi, a TV channel controlled by Zelensky’s opponent Poroshenko, backed the accusations. The president’s office denied interfering in the TV channels’ editorial process.
