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.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said that there are no signs that the landing of a missile on his country's territory on Nov. 15 was a deliberate attack. The missile killed two people in Przewodów, six kilometers away from Ukraine's border.
The incident occurred during Russia's recent massive missile strike on Ukraine.
“We have no evidence at this time that it was a missile fired by the Russian side,” Duda said at the National Security Council on Nov. 16.
“We are dealing with extraordinary events related to the massive Russian attack on Ukraine. Unfortunately, a huge number of rockets have been fired towards western Ukraine,” Duda said.
Following the incident, NATO and Polish forces were put on alert, Duda added.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that there are no signs that Russia was planning a deliberate attack on the alliance's territory.
According to Stoltenberg, a Ukrainian air defense missile was likely launched to down a Russian one and eventually landed in Poland. He said that the investigation isn't over.
"But I want to clearly state that this is not Ukraine's fault. Russia bears full responsibility as it continues the illegal war against Ukraine," he said.
According to media reports, U.S. President Joe Biden earlier told allies at the G20 summit that it was "unlikely" that the missile was fired from Russia.
Several Western leaders made statements supporting an investigation into the incident and agreeing that it would not have happened without Russia's attacks.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that G7 and NATO members are united that the first need is to establish the facts and therefore support Poland's investigation.
German Chancellor Oaf Scholz said the incident must be carefully investigated, adding that "this would not have happened without Russia’s attacks against Ukraine.”
