The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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Friday, May 9
(Updated: )
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.
(Updated: )Victory Day
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
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New Czech President: Ukraine should be let into NATO ‘as soon as the war is over’
• 2 min read
Former NATO general Petr Pavel, who recently won the Czech presidential election, said on Feb. 1 that NATO should let Ukraine join the alliance “as soon as the war is over,” emphasizing that Ukrainians are “morally and practically ready” as they defend their nation from a brutal Russian invasion.
Ukraine officially applied for fast-track NATO membership in September 2022, in a defiant move against Moscow, which has threatened Kyiv against seeking to join the Western alliance for years.
In the BBC broadcast interview, Pavel also said that Western nations should have “almost no limits” to what they should send to equip the Ukrainian military, which is set to receive dozens of advanced Western tanks in the coming months.
But even with Western nations now pledging tanks for Ukraine, including those that opposed the transfer of such equipment over fears of “escalation,” Pavel said.
Pavel said that he did not consider sending Western fighter jets, such as F-16s, to Ukraine to be a “taboo,” but he was not sure whether the aircraft would be delivered in the timeframe that Kyiv needs.
The West has so far sent mixed signals regarding the possible transfer of Western combat jets.
U.S. president Joe Biden turned down Kyiv's request for F-16s with a "no," while London said recently that such deliveries were "not practical," citing that U.K.'s F-35 fighter jets are "extremely sophisticated" and takes "months" to learn how to fly them.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said he does not rule out supplying fighter jets to Ukraine, but he warned that such a move could escalate the war.
"Nothing is excluded in principle," Macron said on Jan. 30, adding that Ukraine has not made a request for them yet.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz immediately dismissed Kyiv's pleas for Western fighter jets."The question of fighter planes does not even arise," Scholz told the German Tagesspiegel newspaper on Jan. 29.
Ukraine war latest: NATO says Russia trying to ‘freeze’ war in Ukraine for ‘bigger offensive’ next spring
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