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.
Kaimo Kuusk stated that the Estonian embassy is working as usual and he believes there is no reason for panic. (Estonian Embassy in Kyiv/facebook)
The U.K. began to recall non-essential staff from its embassy in Kyiv on Jan. 24, amid growing fears of a full-scale Russian invasion.
The U.K. Foreign Office had issued a statement saying that “some embassy staff and dependents are being withdrawn from Kyiv in response to growing threat." Despite the decrease in its staff, "the British Embassy remains open and will continue to carry out essential work,” the statement reads.
The U.S. has made a similar decision a day prior and has advised U.S. citizens to leave Ukraine. The U.S. Embassy remains operational, with the Charge d'Affaires Kristina Kvien remaining in office.
The U.S. and the U.K. have made the decision following the failure to reach an agreement with Russia over its ongoing escalation. The ongoing diplomatic effort led by the West has had no positive effect so far.
Despite that, the European Union and its member countries have not followed suit, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell confirming that the EU is not "going to do the same thing, because we do not know any specific reasons."
Estonia's ambassador to Ukraine, Kaimo Kuusk, said that Estonia will not evacuate its staff as there's no need for panic.
"The Estonian embassy is working as usual," said Kuusk.
According to the latest intelligence data, Moscow has concentrated over 120,000 troops in regions surrounding Ukraine, and also deployed a large number of combat-ready weaponry and military hardware from its distant districts.
Furthermore, the British government has accused the Kremlin of seeking to install a pro-Russian leadership in Ukraine, in a statement on Jan. 22.
Sergiy Slipchenko is a staff writer at the Kyiv Independent. He studied at York University in Toronto, Canada and worked as a reporter at the Kyiv Post.
