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.

Russia’s annual Victory Day parade is taking place in Moscow on May 9, in a week dramatically marked by a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on the city, and a dubious unilateral ceasefire announced by the Kremlin. Russia's Victory Day celebrations, which mark the Soviet Union's role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country's biggest public events of the year. The annual event is a key part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's propaganda efforts to justify aggression a

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.

Key developments on May 8: * Over 100 clashes reported on the front line since Russia’s Victory Day ceasefire began * Ukraine's parliament ratifies minerals deal between Washington, Kyiv * Russia has damaged, destroyed over 2,300 medical infrastructure facilities since beginning of full-scale invasion, health ministry says * Russia's ballistic missiles make April deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since last fall, UN reports * Majority of Ukrainians unwilling to trade territory or Wes

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.

Ukrainian history is rich with examples of foreign volunteers participating in wars fought by Ukrainians for their freedom. Latvian Karlis Broze, a lieutenant colonel in the Ukrainian People’s Republic, commanded the Black Zaporozhians company and later led one of the battalions during the Winter Campaign of 1919–1920. German Alfred Schamanek, a colonel in the Ukrainian Galician Army (UGA), served as chief of staff of the UGA and was one of the key proponents and planners of the Chortkiv offens

Moscow's self-declared truce which came into force at midnight on May 8 is not being felt on the front lines, Ukrainian soldiers have told the Kyiv Independent, reporting numerous cases of Russian military activity throughout the day. "There is no truce. There is shelling, artillery, drone and FPV (bomb) drops," Petro Kuzyk, a battalion commander at the National Guard, said. The Kremlin announced the measure on April 28, claiming all military actions would halt on May 8 to midnight on May 11 t

Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.

Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. took the unprecedented step of deepening cooperation with international courts of law. Washington has never been party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), and U.S. policy towards the Hague-based international tribunal has varied widely under different administrations. Now, since President Donald Trump returned to office, that cooperation has stalled. Among his first actions after returning to the O

Over the past days, Moscow's grand avenues, like every year in early May, were taken over by the growling of 80-year-old tanks and the smell of gasoline burned by military vehicles. To the delight of many locals, soldiers marched in multiple rehearsals for the May 9 Victory Day Parade in the week leading up to the actual event. But as Moscow prepares for its fourth parade since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the atmosphere this year is different. At the turn of the mont

The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.

Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.

The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.

Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.

This is the fourth such tranche from the bloc, which is secured by proceeds from frozen Russian assets.

Editor's note: This article is an on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter The Week Ahead, covering events from May 5-11. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every Sunday. The coming week will provide further clarity on the future of the US-Ukraine relationship. Key questions include: will the US pull out of Ukraine-Russia talks, will Ukraine’s Rada ratify the “minerals deal” (at least the public part, note that some

An abandoned bed that often remains empty until morning as its usual occupants seek shelter during Russian attacks. A backpack with essentials to take along during each air raid. A family hug during a blackout, when a flashlight brings out the invisible on a mother’s face in daylight. After almost three years in wartime Kyiv, Ukrainian documentary photographer and photojournalist Elena Kalinichenko turned her camera toward the private scenes of daily life as a way of coping with her reality. L

At least 19 children were killed and 78 injured in April, the highest verified monthly number of child casualties since June 2022.

The agreement, signed on April 30, establishes a joint investment fund between Kyiv and Washington and grants the U.S. special access to projects developing Ukraine's natural resources.

Three women in Kharkiv, believing the truce was in effect, were injured by a Russian drone while gardening.

Russian forces struck the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant with a drone on Feb. 14, breaking through the confinement and creating a 15-meter hole in it.

The denunciation of the convention will take effect six months after the decision is made.

If Ukraine’s military resistance to Russia’s full-scale invasion stunned the world, its economic resilience in the face of a larger, better-equipped enemy is a lesser-known story of the war. A combination of rapid state expansion, prudent monetary policy, active civil society in Ukraine, and crucial external funding from foreign partners since 2022 have helped Kyiv avoid the kind of catastrophic state collapse a war can trigger. As a result, Ukraine is far from “doomed to defeat” — even if the

Xi Jinping is one of 27 leaders expected to attend the Victory Day parade in the Russian capital on May 9.

Some 2020 medical facilities were partially damaged, while another 305 were completely destroyed, the ministry's statement read.