Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
Alexei Navalny's widow, Yulia Navalnaya, and the EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Belgium, on Feb. 19, 2024. (Yves Herman/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, promised to continue his work in a video shared on Navalny's YouTube channel on Feb. 19.
Navalny, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's main political opponent, died on Feb. 16 in a penal colony in the town of Kharp, Yamal Nenets Autonomous District. He had been convicted in several fabricated criminal cases as part of the Kremlin's crackdown on dissent.
Leaders around the world have blamed Putin for his death. Opinions differ on whether his death was caused by the harsh prison conditions or was an intentional murder.
Navalnaya was unequivocal in her assessment of Navalny's death, saying "Vladimir Putin killed my husband Alexei Navalny."
"It was impossible to break my husband," she said. "This is exactly why Putin killed him in a cowardly way... And in the same mean and cowardly way they're hiding his body. They're refusing to show it to his mother and are lying and waiting for the traces of something similar to Putin's Novichok to disappear."
Navalnaya was referring to Novichok, a nerve agent produced by the Russian government.
"We know why exactly Putin killed Alexei three days ago. We'll tell you about it soon," Navalnaya continued.
She added that those personally responsible for his death would be identified.
"But the main thing we can do - for Alexei and for ourselves - is to continue to fight," Navalnaya emphasized.
The Russian authorities are still refusing to give Navalny's family access to his body.
Navalny's spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said that Navalny's mother had arrived at the morgue in the city of Salekhard, where her son's body is allegedly kept, early on Feb. 19. However, she and her lawyers were not allowed to go in, Yarmysh said.
"The investigators told the lawyers and Alexei's mother that they would not give them the body," she added. "The body will be under some sort of 'chemical examination' for another 14 days."
Yarmysh argued that "Navalny's body is being hidden to conceal the traces of his murder" and that "the chemical examination is just a bunch of lies."
The EU's top diplomat, Josep Borrell, spoke about Navalny's death on Feb. 19 and expressed his condolences to Navalnaya, who was in Brussels to meet with EU foreign ministers.
Borrell said that EU member states would propose sanctions against those behind Navalny's death. While Borrell said that Putin was the one ultimately responsible, the EU's potential sanctions "can go down to the institutional structure of the penitentiary system in Russia."
Borrell did not clarify what concrete actions would be taken.
Earlier in the day, Borrell said he wanted to rename the EU's Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime to the "Navalny Human Rights Sanctions Regime" in order to honor his work.
Oleg Sukhov
