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.
Russia would benefit from negotiations with Ukraine and Western countries that include a ceasefire, allowing it to prepare its military for further offensives against Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update.
"(Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin has shown little interest in such a ceasefire, however, and the Kremlin continues to make demands that are tantamount to full Western surrender, suggesting that Putin remains focused on pursuing military victory," the ISW said.
Putin, along with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, has recently made statements regarding negotiations, likely in an attempt "to create a perception among Western officials that Russia needs to be lured to negotiate," according to the ISW.
A day before, on Dec. 2, Putin and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz held a phone conversation in which Putin claimed that Western support for Ukraine is the reason behind Kyiv's refusal to negotiate with Russia and called on Scholz to reconsider German support for Ukraine.
Scholz replied that any diplomatic solution to the war in Ukraine must include withdrawing Russian forces from Ukrainian territory, the ISW reported. Earlier on Nov. 30, Scholz vowed to support Ukraine as long as it takes during his remarks at the Berlin Security Conference.
Other Western leaders have also pledged to continue their support for Ukraine. Speaking alongside U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and said on Dec. 1 that the West will "never call on Ukrainians for a compromise that will be unacceptable."
The White House also said on Dec. 2 that "Putin has shown absolutely no inclination to be interested in dialogue of any kind."
